T.E.A.M. Newsletter

I know that the times have changed over the past few years. I have no doubt that you all don't agree that when this blog account started in 2019 the world looked and operated differently than it does now, five years later. Not only does it look and operate differently, but my understanding of it's operation has changed. As I have grown into a young adult, gone and finished college, and moved away from the place that I had known as home for the whole time this blog was around, I know have a much different understanding of, well, everything. My worldview, while not flipped around, has changed and grown dramatically in the past few years. I have seen God work in some powerful way, have had some wonderfully deep conversations with some amazing people, have been challenged in my faith by wise counselors as well as strangers, and have experienced time and time again the consequences of making the wrong choices.  As I keep on growing up and learning more, the more I find that I want t...

 Hello, again for the few that keep up with this. I have discovered that I am able to keep up with this blog about once a year, and this year I am a little late. That is okay! At this point, TEAM is just a memory. A memory of how I was able to grow in my walk with God and my role as a leader. I learned so much through the years that we were able to meet, especially in the later years when we took initiave and created fun projects like this. I am using some of the skills that I developed through TEAM to this day.  For example, I am a Resident Assistant. At my christian college we call the position instead a Resident Discipleship Leader (RDL). I am a leader for a group of girls on my college campus. I get to lead a weekly devotion (going through a specific book of the Bible a year with a group of other RDLs who are also leading a different group of girls and guys in the same topic). This year, we are going through the book of Ephesians. This weekly devotionals would run similarl...

 Hello, y'all! I feel like I always begin my blog posts with something along the lines of "long time no see'" and it is really sad to continue with this pattern. I could list a ton of excuses. Firstly, I could mention that I am now in college. Secondly, I could mention that I am working three jobs. Thirdly, I could mention that our Bible Study group has kind of fallen apart for a few reasons which I will not get all into detail about now. Fourthly, I could talk about how I do not even use Skype anymore. Fifthly, I could mention that I am personally still out there creating content on my own personal accounts.  But, here I am. Here I am making a post on a group blog account. Here I am allowing all of the audience to see that while we are gone, we are not forgotten. No, we could be forgotten about by literally every soul. But, I will not forget. During the years that I was a part of this group, I treasured every moment. It brought me joy to be a part of such a community...

Wow, it has been a while since we have said anything here, huh? I was just taking the time to look over the blog this morning and I noticed that all of our actual "Newsletters" that we posted here were from 2019. That seems like such a long time ago. We have not posted on this blog since April of 2020. That means it has been almost a year since this blog has been regularly used.  Many of our viewers, like you, probably like that we just forgot about it, right? Like we got so busy in our regular lives that we forgot to make time to blog. Or, we were so busy in our Bible Study that we forgot we had a blog, so while there was so much that was content-worthy, there was nothing that we posted because we can't post on something we do not know exists. Sadly, neither of those are true. But, the first is the closest.  About this time last year, our group was going through some things emotionally, but once we got that all under control life got chaotic. The irony of this situation ...

Hi, y'all! Mary here! I was looking back on our previous posts and I saw one of our popular articles- from WOW to TEAM. It makes sense that it is a popular article because it explains the history of this group. Sabine and I are the two that seemed to have been here when this all started, and have lived to stick around and tell what has happened and changed. Lately, a big change has happened. I, as the leader (or one of the leaders) of TEAM had felt that the morals and goals of TEAM were getting thrown away. The group was more like a place to chat (which is fine, to a point), post memes (some of which I was not a fan of because they were not respectful), and even arguments (which again I know happens, but it seems that we could not peacefully and calmly talk about the differences- it had to be a verbal argument). No good discussions were going down and when we were talking about something Biblical, or remotely useful an argument would emerge and everyone would type so fast to ma...

Jake:  Hey guys! So Easter just ended right? Well, I noticed that we had far less Easter encouragement that we should have. I know Mary did her group call over Easter and I'm glad she did, we still needed more. Easter is arguably the most important event for Christians. So I sincerely ask you all to express some form of encouragement or just something you want to share that you got over Easter weekend. Sabine:  This last week has been a blur, but this year I got to see family and spend time with them which was fun cuz we haven’t seen them in forever.  We did a church service online. Mary: Something my friend and I have been talking about is that we don’t like Easter or Christmas because both should be celebrated throughout the year, not just one day, week, or month. Mandy:  Well, this Easter, we saw the Sights and Sounds Production called JESUS. It was so cool to basically be able to see the Story of Jesus' ministry and death. There were so many parts of the p...

Stuck in sorrow for far too long, No more than an infinite being, How I wished there was a way for me to start singing! But for me there was no song. Then a great thing He did! I thought I had been lost, With no idea how much it cost, There was no need for the world to bid. He came to pursue and save, Ever waiting for me, So that I truly could see, Oh, how much He gave! Now I have been found, And I can forever sing, Forever there will be happiness’ ring! That to me is a wondrous sound.

COVID-19, the Carona Virus, the Bud Light Virus, Kung Flu,... the names go on and on. This is mostly considered a joke, but when you think about how the United States is handling this, it is more than a joke. Schools, churches, sports, stores, attractions, and almost everything except for food stores and medical clinics/ hospitals are all closing. The government has limited us to about 10 people per room for a gathering. We are told to wash our hands (which we really should have been doing the whole time, right?). But, how should we respond? Do we obey authority? Do we freak out? Do we stay at home? To start, China did not start this- we humans did. We would not have to deal with sickness and death of any form if Adam and Eve had not sinned. But we all know that we would have done the same if we were there. None of us are perfect. Our world is not perfect. This "epidemic" is just another example to prove this. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 is a passage that was pointed out to me....

Hello everyone. I am pretty sure this is the first blog I have written. I am not a good writer at all, but I feel like I need to share this. As we come upon Easter, let us remember what we are celebrating. Easter is not about the eggs, the bunny, and the chocolate. It is about celebrating the price our Savior paid to save us from eternal suffering.   Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross to take our punishment for sin, and then rose again 3 days later. Recently, someone said that Heaven is what doesn’t make sense not Hell. This is so true. It makes perfect sense that since we are sinners, we deserve to be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. What doesn’t make sense is that a Perfect God could love us wretched sinners so much that He gave His Son to die for us so we can go to Heaven. However, that is exactly what Jesus did. He willingly and loving went to the cross and died for us without any sign of withdraw.   And He knew exactly what would happen. This Eas...

Waves of Hope The answers O’ Lord are mixed. Emotions tumble like waves upon sand, But how my eyes are fixed, Even if I can not see your hand. Storms rage upon the land, Loud and banging thunder, No place, so I ran, Turned away from the Wonder. Sight that is now clouded, No answer from whispering Wind, There was only thought that doubted, Yet, I saw the sun that shined. Promises for which I cling to the Mast, For the Lord has heard my cause! No longer will the gale last, Whether decision known, there is dawn. Seagulls cry in the air, Safety returned to the skies, The mighty Hand has rescued with care, Now I might see up high. Trouble crashes against my rocky heart, But hope and love breaks it away, With such form and art, I can feel the cool ocean spray.