Green Thumbs

So, after a long discussion, I decided Lizzie was right, in that a day of hard work is not the same as a day of service. So we reached a compromise, and decided to merge two darkness fighting techniques into one week: Diligent labor and spreading the good news of Christ. Jesus himself compared both to gardening in one way or another* anyway, so it worked out okay, even if it wasn't 'plant' this way! Remember, you guys will only reap what you sow, don't let your 'garden' down and end up with it only being 'sow-sow'.  

*Here's the sources, the first and the last, if you will.

'Tis Noble of [Creecher's] to Work and to Give

Sometimes, the easiest way to shine is to ask yourself; "Have I done any good in the World today?"  Then go do some good, regardless of the answer. Holding doors, leaving change in the gumball machine, or getting some friends together and chopping wood. You can never really tell the impact of a few simple act of service, Believe me, it's the small things that leave some of the biggest impacts, even if that doesn't make logical sense.

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day!

Oops. The one time sensitive week, and I botch it up. Don't worry, my Mom knows I love her, Even though I couldn't tell her over the internet, I got to see her face to face.
Anyway, with Mother's day being this week, I figured it best to combine it into my Fight Darkness challenge, to keep a steady flow, even if it was a day late. Oh well, can't win 'em all. Hey, at least I'm still on course in the challenge, though.
So, if you haven't already, remember to show your love for the women who've made you who you are today!

Sing (and Dance!) Praises!

 For our fourth uplifting thought, Emillee (top left) brought up how energizing she, everyone she's worked with, and even the spectators, finds dancing. I should have seen it coming, honestly. For those of you that don't know, (which is probably everybody!*) Emillee teaches a dance class -Elementary level- with Cassidy (top right) once a week. Tenea (bottom row) was recently a student there, and often pops in and helps out.

 Once again, dancing seems to have earned a pretty bad rap in the Scriptures. Luckily, the girls liked the quote discovered and featured.(at the very top) (Aren't parentheses fun?)

   * I guess I should introduce these three, seeing as had I done that already, I wouldn't have to explain it now... Emillee is probably the best dancer in town, but she's too busy teaching and performing to let it get to her head. She's loves teaching the kids, as does Cassidy. However, Cassidy's strong suit is gymnastics. Oddly enough, off the dance floor and outside the gym, she's known to be a bit accident prone. Go figure, eh? Tenea loves to dance, and singing, and she doesn't like Brussels sprouts. Hey, don't look at me, I'm just putting down what she wants me to say!

You Raise me up....

As Jeff says, nothing chases darkness away like a warm embrace.
This came as a shock to both of us, but there's a sparse amount of hugging mentioned in the Scriptures, or anywhere else for that matter. So, forgive me for not attaching the most inspirational quotes ever, I'm only human. Either way, I'm sure you can agree that the message still shines through, though.

Keep Smiling, Keep Shining

Fighting darkness can't really be done if you don't share the light; a fire that's spread right is a ton harder to put out. So this week's thought is something that Samantha says, always 'brightens' her day. And, when Bethany found out, she was surprised that a simple smile was such a big deal to Samantha. That's the way it often is; the small and simple things often have the biggest impact, even if we don't see it right away.

Challenge accepted!

The challenge was extended by an incredible you tube artist, Colby Ferrin, to post a something encouraging every week, for ten weeks. Something that fights the darkness ever present in our daily lives. Well, the Creecher's and I accept the challenge! For the next ten weeks, we'll be sharing our personal favorite ways to fight darkness.
Hey, you should do this too! Yeah, you! Just post something inspiring- a quote, scripture, an image, a poem, an anything- with the hashtag "#FightDarkness" once a week. It's totally okay if you start late, just don't stop until your ten weeks is over.
So, to start of our personal ten weeks, Randy made a great point when he said that the first thing you need for any fight is ammunition. Extra oil for your own lamps, if you know what I mean.