| Calling all pickleball players! We have had an incredible response to Jammin for Joy!! We’re so grateful for the pickleball community which continues to make this tourney an unprecedented success. After only one month of registration the tourney is essentially full. We will have 500 players coming to play pickleball at Bent Tree in August. You can still register, but most events are waitlist only. However, we will still have a few openings between now and the close of registration, so if you have hopes of playing please go register and get on a waitlist.
Because of the notoriety this tournament now generates we have a few incredible sponsorship opportunities. We will have 500 pickleball players and their guests across the four days of the tournament. Let me highlight a couple of significant high-level sponsorships that still remain. We have our Medal Stand sponsorship. If you are looking for name recognition and raising brand awareness this is a great deal. We take pictures on the medal stand of all our medalists. Our medalists also take pictures and then they share them in their social media networks. That means your brand is spread into all of those different social networks. That is available for $2500. We also have our Towel Sponsorship. We provide a towel to each player in their player pack. This towel would include your company logo for this sponsorship along with other perks. That would be 500 people using a towel with your company logo on it. It is also available for $2500. There are also some other sponsorship opportunities. You can get all the details on these and other sponsorship opportunities at the link below. We are excited and looking forward to seeing you all at Jammin' for Joy! |
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Our faith journey is full of encounters of discomfort…maybe we have “fallen short” of the mark, someone has hurt us, or there is an unexpected circumstance out of our control. What is the source and nature of this “heat” we are experiencing? Are we suffering from the damaging grip of shame, or the constructive urging of the Holy Spirit's conviction? While both can bring about a sense of unease or “heat”, their emotional impact and ultimate outcomes are not the same. Recognizing this distinction is vital for living in freedom and spiritual maturity, rather than being imprisoned in a cell of self-condemnation.
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
Shame, at its core, launches a direct assault on our identity with devious lies that resonate deep within, telling us "I am bad," "I am worthless," or "I am fundamentally damaged." This can be debilitating as the emotional consequences of shame are heavy and isolating. God does not desire us to live in the fear of exposure where we choose to hide. The first instance of shame in the Bible occurs after Adam and Eve's disobedience, leading to their awareness of nakedness and a desire to hide (Genesis 3:7-10). He wants us to turn to Him instead of running away from Him. He loves us and He is near.
In contrast, the conviction brought by the Holy Spirit focuses on specific actions, thoughts and behaviors that stray from God's will and goodness. It does not attack our worth (we were created in God’s likeness/image) but gently (and sometimes strongly) positions our hearts to see where correction is needed. Basically, it is when we accept the truth and are driven to do the right thing. This distinction is crucial. Conviction is a call for repentance and restoration, an invitation to an enjoyable relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
As humans who want-what-we-want-when-we-want-it, embracing the conviction of the Holy Spirit can be challenging, yet it takes us down the happy road to freedom and spiritual maturity. It's a loving nudge from a compassionate God who desires our wholeness. Humbly distinguishing the Spirit’s prompting from the heavy burden of shame is a wisdom birthed through God’s amazing grace. Let us listen for the voice that calls us to serve others, forgive and praise God without ceasing, rather than the lies that condemns our very being.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
He is near! |
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She is like an angel
upon your shoulder
Such a fragile thing
Like a butterfly
going with the wind
Starts out as a whisper
but really gets louder
Right and wrong
she knows it all
She comes to you
when you come to the Lord
She helps you help others
Oh!
How wonderful! |
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| | | Written by Angela who is one of the residents at The Joy House. She graciously offered to write a poem for our Newsletter. |
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| This summer some wonderful people are partnering with us to renovate The Joy House Academy! This area of our campus is in great need of an overhaul. We are still in need of a partner to help with new carpeting at the Academy. If you would like to help with the carpeting or any other area of the renovations please call us at 706-253-7569. We are grateful for how many of you walk alongside us and are excited to see the Academy look it's best. |
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| We’re looking for the next great leader of our school who is passionate about Christ, teens and education. If you are a teacher who wants to return to the roots of education impacting individual students, this may be a great opportunity for you. This is a small classroom setting where you really have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the students and help them realize their God-given potential. |
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| We’re looking for our next great husband and wife team to serve as house parent’s in our boys' homes. We need a couple who have a demonstrated passion for teens and for Christ. This is a vocational opportunity filled with great challenge and great reward. Interested couples can find all the necessary details at the link provided and how to apply. We would be blessed if our partner/friends can share this in your social networks and pray with us for the Lord to bring us the exact rightcouple. |
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