This day in the life of your pastor – October 30th, 2009

1. a good day. Had the opportunity 2 speak 2 a lot of people 2day who R hurting N different ways. Lets agree 2 Fast and Pray as a Communityabout 3 hours ago from web
2. asking all Out Of The Box Youth and FB friends to cover Hiwassee College in prayer next weekabout 3 hours ago from web

3. No 5th Quarter at Out of the Box tonight, sorry for the disappointmentabout 3 hours ago from web

4. SNL I think its time to Fast & Pray http://bit.ly/31srKTabout 4 hours ago from web

5. praying for Jacob Mollettabout 4 hours ago from web

6. game over, Cavaliers didn’t get a win tonightabout 4 hours ago from web

7. Praying for Jaredabout 4 hours ago from web

8. praying for the Cavaliers, down 8 pts and one player hurtabout 4 hours ago from web

9. Reading Tony Evans speaks out on Fasting, great book!about 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry

10. “Fasting puts us on the path to humility” Tony Evansabout 4 hours ago from TwitterBerry

11. Cavaliers are 1 point down in the 3rd qtrabout 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry

12. Getting ready for a long run in the amabout 5 hours ago from TwitterBerry

13. Dinner with Misty and Judah @ Gondolasabout 8 hours ago from TwitterBerry

14. Praying for Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Isaiahabout 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

15. So many people N this world have lost hope. Jesus is our hope. Cling 2 Jesus, pray, Fast, read & study His Word. Do what you know is right.about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

16. The property tax bills arrived today & rather than complain, I am thankful to own property. God has been so good to me!about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

17. Bank, post office, homeabout 10 hours ago from TwitterBerry

18. Christians on the run http://bit.ly/1VPHu6about 11 hours ago from web

19. OK, I came N 2 study & have handled emergency situations most of the day. Guess I will be studying @home, late night as usual or early mornabout 11 hours ago from web

20. Preparing 4 Atlanta Tksgiving Day Marathon http://bit.ly/2wPTYHabout 11 hours ago from web

21. oldest marathon N S east & 1 of the 10 oldest N the country, Atlanta on Tksgiving Dy is also the only U.S. marathon run on an Olympic courseabout 9 hours ago from web

22. remember to Fall Back with your clocks on Saturday night before you go to bed. If not you will be in church an hour earlyabout 10 hours ago from web

23. Check this video out — Forever Family: Through the eyes of a former foster child http://bit.ly/1iM7Cuabout 11 hours ago from web

24. Adoption doesn’t cast you a dime http://bit.ly/1jpeyYabout 11 hours ago from web

25. Check this video out — Forever Family:Adopting a Child from Foster Care http://bit.ly/IkOKIabout 11 hours ago from web

26. Check this video out — “I’m Just A Kid” from Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption http://bit.ly/468DyTabout 11 hours ago from web

27. Sunday November 8th is National Adoption Sunday, how will you celebrate?about 11 hours ago from web

28. this day has gone much different than planned but then when you are a pastor you have to learn to have your schedule change in an instantabout 11 hours ago from web

29. it is hard to decide what is most important but I think it is study first and then the restabout 14 hours ago from web

30. mistletoe run http://bit.ly/4dClciabout 15 hours ago

31. The older I get the more I love days off.about 16 hours ago from TwitterBerry

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Fasting is the topic for SNL This Week

I have read a few pages of this little book and already I can say that you should get a copy for your own study of Fasting. Great information, quick read. I will write a review later in the weekend.

Ronnie

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SNL with SouledOut and Ronnie – November 1st, 2009

There is NO DRESS CODE

The band and I dress casual, jeans and sweats are cool!

Ronnie

I think it is time that we call on our church to Fast and Pray!

Scripture for this week is Matthew 6: 16 – 18

Fasting. Why? When? What is it?

Come and See

¹⁶“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Bring the Rain

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Love Your Mate – I Dare You – Couples Retreat

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God works through His People

Psalm 10: 17-18

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. ¹⁸ You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.

It is up to us to hear the cries and come to their aid. God chooses to work that way!

Ronnie

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Christians on The Run – Running for The Children of Sudan

I am running the Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving Day to raise money for the Children of Sudan. You can join me by running, praying, and giving. If you are interested in supporting in any way you can leave a message here, e-mail, or call.

James 1:27 (The Message)

^26-27Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

After reading an inspiring book “Take Your Best Shot” and coupling that with the Biblical mandate to help those who are in need. I have decided to run the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Marathon to raise support for the children of Sudan.

Why not do something you love and help others at the same time?

Our Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church has partnered with Southern Sudan to help with the needs there and there is a possibility that I could travel there on a mission trip in the future. In the mean time I want to do something to help the children.

Here is how it will work. I will travel to Atlanta in November and run the 26.2 mile Marathon on Thanksgiving Day in honor of and support of The Children of Sudan Africa, “Hope for the Children”. By the way I will also run in honor of our great friend Ona Smith. Ona ran in this race several times before going to be with our Lord earlier this year.

Every gift that is given will go to support the children of Sudan, “Hope for the Children”. I will personally pay all of the expenses of entering the race as well as transportation to and from Atlanta.

There are several ways that you can support.

# 1 is in your prayers

Donate $1 for every mile = 26 dollars

Donate $5 for every mile = 130 dollars

Donate $10 for every mile = 260 dollars

Donate $20 for every mile = 520 dollars

Donate $100 for every mile = 2600 dollars

or simply Donate Any $ Amount

Special Opportunity – You could join me in the run and help raise money for the Children!

My goal is simply to raise as much money as possible and have fun doing it. I am inviting people (Runners) who would like to help raise money for the children of Sudan to join me in the run. You can sign up to run at http://www.atlantatrackclub.org

Make your checks payable to: The Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church or The Holston UMC

Designate your Check “Hope for the Children of Sudan”

Mail to: Ronnie G Collins, PO Box 356, Hillsville Virginia 24343

I will compile the checks and get them to Holston Conference on behalf of the children. You will receive a letter from me to signify when the gift is received.

I am excited to see just what Miracle the Lord will do.

Ronnie

Hope for the
Children of Sudan

Here‘s what is happening…

In the past two decades, more than 2 million people have lost their lives through violence, disease and starvation in southern Sudan due to a North vs. South civil war.

In Western Sudan, in the Darfur region, the Coalition for International Justice released a report in April, 2005 stating that approximately 400,000 men, women and children had been killed due to genocide in the region.

Years of food shortage, displaced children/families, and disease have forced millions (35 million+) to live in crowded refugee camps. Thousands have died and continue to die, needlessly.

This is Sudan, a country in crisis.

A Story from the Bible

Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

October 30, 2009 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Preparing for the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Marathon

It is hard to explain to someone who doesn’t run, the excitement you feel getting ready for a 26.2 mile Marathon.

I know how crazy it must sound to someone who has never run one but the Thanksgiving Day Marathon in Atlanta Georgia will be number 8 for me. I have run the following Marathons in the past 5 years or so.

Kiawah Island South Carolina

Myrtle Beach South Carolina twice

Nashville Tennessee Country Music Marathon

Arizona Rock N Roll Marathon

Goody Kentucky Hatfield McCoy Marathon

Abingdon Virginia Creeper Trail Marathon

The first Marathon I did was my fastest to date with a time of 4 Hours 14 Minutes & 08 seconds, Chip Time @ Kiawah Island.

457  80  4204 Ronnie Collins       37 M Cana            VA 4:15:46 4:14:08   9:42 

I am really excited this time, it has been a couple years now since my last Marathon and I honestly thought fora while that I would never do another one. The Busyness of life seemed to have taken my time to train and stay in shape away. Now I realize once again that if I don’t stay in shape I may never complete all that God put me here to do.

I am training for Atlanta with a good friend, Kenneth Dickens. This will be Kenneth’s 1st Marathon and that makes it even more exciting.

I am also taking the opportunity to raise much-needed money for “Hope for the children of Sudan” through the Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church. You can learn more about this at the following links. By the way, Kenneth is raising money for Operation Christmas Child and Shoeboxes.

Hope for the Children of Sudan

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Adoption: Doesn’t cost you a dime!

Here is a message that people need to hear. There is such a fear that a person can’t afford the cost involved but thats just not true.

Ronnie

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I’m Just A Kid

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Adoption Story

We need to place a call to the Christian Community of this Country. There are so many children that need a family. Are we doing our part?

Ronnie

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Steven Curtis Chapman Cinderella Music Video and story

November is National Adoption Month. Here is a great song and the story behind it.

Ronnie

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Fasting: Quotes from those who have experienced it

Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of heaven, but he has few bearers of His Cross. Many desire His consolation, but few desire His tribulation. He finds many comrades in eating and drinking, but He finds few hands who will be with Him in His abstinence and fasting…But those who love Jesus purely for Himself, and not for their own profit or convenience, bless Him as heartily in temptation and tribulation and in all other adversities as they do in time of consolation. And if He never sent them consolation, they would still bless and praise Him.

Thomas a Kempis

A spiritually awake person would see everything as gift, even suffering. We deserve nothing and yet we so often act as though we deserve everything. Nothing should be taken for granted. We should say thank you every day to God and to each other for all that is provided for us. This is one reason why fasting is such an important spiritual discipline. Not just fasting from food, but also fasting from cars, shopping centres, the news – whatever we have an inordinate attachment to. Fasting can help re-kindle our gratitude for all that we have been given.

Glen Argan

Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down.

John Wesley

Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.

Andrew Murray

Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food.

Dallas Willard

Is fasting ever a bribe to get God to pay more attention to the petitions ? No, a thousand times no. It is simply a way to make clear that we sufficiently reverence the amazing opportunity to ask help from the everlasting God, the Creator of the universe, to choose to put everything else aside and concentrate on worshiping, asking forgiveness, and making our requests known-considering His help more important than anything we could do ourselves in our own strength and with our own ideas.

Edith Schaeffer

We tend to think of fasting as going without food. But we can fast from anything. If we love music and decide to miss a concert in order to spend time with God, that is fasting. It is helpful to think of the parallel of human friendship. When friends need to be together, they will cancel all other activities in order to make that possible. There’s nothing magical about fasting. It’s just one way of telling God that your priority at that moment is to be alone with him, sorting out whatever is necessary, and you have cancelled the meal, party, concert, or whatever else you had planned to do in order to fulfil that priority.
James I (J. I.) Packer

Fasting is important, more important perhaps, than many of us have supposed,… when exercised with a pure heart and a right motive, fasting may provide us with a key to unlock doors where other keys have failed; a window opening up new horizons in the unseen world; aspiritual weapon of God’s provision, mighty, to the pulling down of strongholds. (God’s Chosen Fast)

Arthur Wallis

Fasting can be a painful admission that I am not free, that my life is enslaved, obsessed or addicted to external things such as food, drink, codependent relationships, sex, television, privacy and the like.

Albert Haase

In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who were accustomed to spend time in fasting and prayer. They recognized that this fasting, which so many dislike, which requires faith in God, since it makes one feel weak and poorly, is really a Divinely appointed means of grace. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength; and in fasting we learn what poor, weak creatures we are – dependent on a meal of meat for the little strength which we are so apt to lean upon.

James Hudson Taylor

The purpose of fasting is to loosen to some degree the ties which bind us to the world of material things and our surroundings as a whole, in order that we may concentrate all our spiritual powers upon the unseen and eternal things.

Ole Kristian O. Hallesby

When the devil, the foe and the tyrant, sees a man bearing this weapon [fasting], he is straight-away frightened and he recollects and considers that defeat which he suffered in the wilderness at the hands of the Saviour; at once his strength is shattered and the very sight of this weapon, given us by our Commander-in-chief, burns him.

Isaac of Syria

Do you have a hunger for God? If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul’s appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is the path of pleasant pain called fasting.

John Piper

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Mistletoe Run 5K and Half Marathon December 5th, 2009

Mistletoe Run for Youth 5K & Half Marathon

Start Date/Time:	Saturday, December 05, 2009 8:00 AM
End Date/Time:	Saturday, December 05, 2009 12:00 PM
Recurring Event:	Every 52 Week(s) until 12/4/2010 (Total 3 Events)
Importance:	Normal Priority
Category:	Road Race
Description:	Winston-Salem, NC - 8:00 a.m Fun Run. 8:15 Half Marathon. 8:35 5K. $25/Y members., $30/non-members., by 11/18; after $35 for all participants, $40 Race Day. Info: Beth Hair, William G. White, Jr. Family YMCA (formerly Central Family YMCA) 775 West End Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; (336) 721-2100 x2053 or you can . Registration & Packet Pick-up: Participants can Pick-up their packets and Register during these times: Friday, Dec. 4th from 12 noon- 7:30 pm in the gym Or Saturday, Dec. 5th from 6:30 am- 7:45 am in the gym Mistletoe Race Shirts: Our 26th Annual Race Shirts are guaranteed to the first 2000 people that register. Splits: 5k: 1st & 2nd miles Half: 1st, 3rd, 9th & 12th mile markers Water Stations: 5k: 2 water stations Half: 6 water stations w/ Powerade at the Wake Forest water station Facilities: Restrooms, changing & shower facilities are available at the Central Family YMCA. Childcare: Childcare is provided for children over 3 months of age. Parents need to reserve a spot for their child by calling the Adult Welcome Center at 336-721-2100. After Race Party: We have a great after race party starting at 9:00 when the first runners come back in. We have a DJ, lots of food, door prizes & awards!! Awards: Awards will be given out after each race. No duplicate awards will be given. Awards will be given to the top 3 male & females of each race. Age division awards; 9 & under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 and over Awards Ceremony: 5k awards ceremony will begin at 10 am ½ Marathon awards ceremony will begin at 11:30 am Race Results: Results will be posted on http://www.centralymca.org & on http://www.twincitytc.org Race Pictures: Pictures taken during the race & awards ceremony will be available to purchase. Visit our website at http://www.centralymca.org to view & buy pictures! Where does the money go? With the help of our sponsors and individuals, all proceeds from this event enable families and individuals in the Winston Salem area to participate in Membership, Teen Advancement, Camp, Mentoring, After School, Sports & Aquatics programs of the YMCA that would otherwise be outside of their financial capability. Thank you to our sponsors & donors!!

Created by Stone, Keith On 7/30/2009

October 30, 2009 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

This day in the life of the pastor – October 29, 2009

1. Mike is putting Kyles birthday present together Airblocksabout 13 hours ago from TwitterBerry

2. @ Prime Sirloin with the family and I am not eating bread. Touch me! I am 5 lbs lighter than 1 week agoabout 15 hours ago from TwitterBerry

3. Finished 6.3 miles @ 920 pace, 988 caloriesabout 16 hours ago from TwitterBerry

4. Sign up now for a January or February race, it will help you keep at training through the winterabout 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

5. Headed out on a training run with Kennethabout 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

6. Eating Sport Beans, trying new things while in Marathon Trainingabout 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

7. Just took a call from a lady who likes what Out of the Box is doing and wants to volunteerabout 18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

8. March 21, 2010 is the Georgia Marathon. Who wants to run with me? You could do the Half!about 18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

9. 34 laps around a big rig is 1 mileabout 18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

10. Excited, my December Runners World came in the mail todayabout 19 hours ago from TwitterBerry

11. Home, running laterabout 19 hours ago from TwitterBerry

12. Ok so I did but 1 book but it is a small one and it is by Tony Evans on the topic of Fastingabout 20 hours ago from TwitterBerry

13. Can anyone accurately predict earth’s final day?about 20 hours ago from TwitterBerry

14. @ Lifeway’ no intention of buying any books, lolabout 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

15. Samuel says he isn’t behaving well enough to go to the mall so we are off to see the cow @ Chick fil Aabout 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

16. Web Bots, I am learning all kinds of new things. Do you know what a web Bot is?about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

17. Praying about something that could be really big, God knows, help me pray?about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

18. On May 16, 2008 the worlds fastest computer broke the Petaflop barrier: it is 1 quadrillion calculations per second.about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

19. Even an old clock that no longer works is right twice a dayabout 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

20. Judah is just like his daddy, he has my hairline! Awesome! Samuel is the one with hair in the family.about 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

21. Jean Crist is covering OOTB for tutoring, awesome. We still need volunteers, txt meabout 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

22. Awesome day! Never thought I would get to wear shorts again this year. God has blessed me with a beautiful day offabout 22 hours ago from web

23. has read Redefining Beautiful: What God Sees When God Sees … by Jenna Lucado and rated it 4 stars – http://bit.ly/1p3JbPabout 22 hours ago from weread

24. the Spirit of the Marathon http://bit.ly/4kc0keabout 23 hours ago from web

October 30, 2009 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment