GOD BLESS AMERICA

July 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

Word from the Pastor

Calendar

Covered Facility Update

Bull Riding

Helping Hands

CAMO Tactical Competition

Share the Harvest

Missions

Parent Link

Word From The Pastor

James 1:19–22 (NET) 19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 20For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteous-ness.21So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. 22But be sure you live out the message and do not merely lis-ten to it and so deceive yourselves.

How can we be sure we are living out the message? Living out the message is a difficult task even in the best circumstances. When life gets tough, the marriage is in trouble, the boss is unhappy with us, or financial issues strike, living out the message can seem impossible. In my years in min-istry I have noticed some common traits in those that are truly able to live out the message in both the good times and bad. I decided for this week’s post to mention those things here. I pray you will consider them as you attempt to live out the message yourself.

1. Know the message- it is hard to live out the message when you don't know what the message is. Those who read the word, memorize scripture, and pray continually tend to live out the message more consistently than those who don't. If you want to live out the message you need to know what that message is.

2. Know others living out the message- Living out the message is a team sport, God never de-

signed it to be lived out alone. When you live life with others who are living out the message you are more likely to stay on track yourself. Certainly it is most helpful to have a spouse and children who are living out the message in your home with you. But close friends, coworkers, and other church members play an important role as well.

3. Know your weaknesses- Those who most effectively and consistently live out the message

know their temptations and weaknesses. They understand that their enemy wants to kill, steal, and destroy them, and this enemy certainly knows their weaknesses so they must be equally aware. These people make huge efforts to avoid the things they know will trap them, and prevent them from living out the message. They are proactive in avoiding sin rather than simply being reactive.

4. Know your strengths- God has given you amazing gifts, talents and strengths which are

intended to be used as you live out the message. Knowing your spiritual gifts and strengths allows you to run your race well and live out the message.

5. Know the Master- it is impossible to live out the message if you don't know the Master on

the most intimate level. You should make it your goal to know the master more and more each day, if you truly desire to live out the message.

Pastor Pete

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The following are reoccurring

events that take place each

week/month at the same time

unless otherwise denoted.

Small Groups Sunday morn-

ing before Church at 9am

Church Services - Sunday at

10:45 AM

Baptism Sunday mornings

Children’s Play Group Every

Tuesday from 10am -

11:30am.

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

3rd Sat. 8-9 Call Bob Byrd

for info at: 210-896-5525

CFY - Every Wednesday @

6:30pm

Pre-Teen Ministry Every

Wednesday @ 6:30pm-8

Bldg D

2nd Sat. Cleanup 8 am-10

2nd Thursday Helping Hands

10:30 —12

Please Go To Our Website For

Times And More Information! www.cowboyfellowship.org

JULY 2014 SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT

1

10a-11:30a

Play Group

Kid Nation

2

6:30p-8p

5th & 6th

Grade Youth

6:30p-8p CFY

3

6:30p-9p

CF band

practice

6:30 p–8p

Judo

4

4th of July

Holiday

office

closed

5

6

9a

Small Groups

10:45 a

Sun Morning

Worship Serv.

7 8

10a-11:30a

Play Group

9

6:30p-8p

5th & 6th

Grade Youth

6:30p-8p CFY

10

10a

Helping

Hands

6:30p-9p

CF band

practice

6:30 p–8p

Judo

11 12

8:00a–10a

2nd Sat

Clean Up

10a-12

Ladies

Riding

Group

8a

CAMO

Shoot

13

9a

Small Groups

10:45a

Sun. Morning

Worship Serv.

12-2p

Leadership and

Lay Pastor

Mtg.

14

6:30p – 8p VBS 14-18

15

10a-11:30a

Play Group

16

6:30p-8p

5th & 6th

Grade Youth

6:30p-8p CFY

7p-9p Adult Riding Group

17

6:30p-9p

CF band

practice

6:30pm– 8

Judo

18 19

8a-9a Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

20

9a

Small Groups

10:36

Saddle up

10:45am

Sun. Morning

Worship Serv.

21

22

10a-11:30a

Play Group

23

6:30p-8p

5th & 6th

Grade Youth

6:30p -8p CFY

24

6:30p-9p

CF band

practice

6:30p – 8

Judo

25

26

27 9a Small Groups 10:45am Sun. Morning Worship Serv. 12pm-1 Elders mtg.

28 29

10a-11:30a

Play Group

30

6:30p-8p

5th & 6th

Grade Youth

6:30p -8p CFY

31 6:30p-9p CF band practice 6:30p – 8 Judo

Schedule

Of Events

Proverbs 3:5-6

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to Him,

and He will make your paths straight

“I pledge

allegiance to the

flag of the United

States of America

and to the Republic

for which it stands,

one nation under

God, indivisible,

with liberty and

justice for all”

The Arena Ministry

Adult Riding Group 2nd Wednesday of every month

7pm - 9pm Contact Liz Powell 830-426-9391

Youth Riding Clinic 4th Wednesday of the month

7pm-9pm Contact Liz Powell 830-426-9391

Ladies Riding Group 2nd Sat. of the month 10am-12

noon Contact info : Marian Knowlton - phone

210-831-6079 email marian.knowlton@gmail.com

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Church and Arena Events

July 4th - Office Closed

July 5th - So. Texas Showdown Bull riding (See Flyer pg. 6)

July 6 -11 - Alto Frio area youth camp

July 10th - Helping Hands 10a -12a

July 12th - Second Sat. Cleanup 8a -10a

July 12th - Ranch Sorting (See flyer page 7)

July 12th - CAMO Shoot (See flyer page 8)

July 14-18 - VBS Summer Blast

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Covered Facility Update

As you can see by the pictures below the work on Phase lll is

progressing. There is still much to do but the project is moving along.

The pattern for the placement of the bricks for the memorial wall has

been done and as soon as the remaining bricks arrive the work on the

wall will begin. We have experienced a few snags but nothing that

could not be remedied. It will be awesome when completed.

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There was a good attendance on June 12th in spite of the forecast of a triple digit temperature.

The ministry worked on putting together bible bags and then replenishing the tables around the

sanctuary with the bags. The newest member of the Helping Hands Ministry is Vickie. She is a

welcome addition. After completing the task of replenishing the supply of bible bags the ministry

headed to Café Chris for some good food and fellowship.

Our vision is to work together as a team to plant, grow and harvest as

many vegetables as possible, which will in turn allow us the privilege

of ministering to the community by SHARING THE HARVEST.

Our goal is to grow enough vegetables to give away to at least 100

families per week!

Share the Harvest had the first vegetable distribution on June 25th.

Even with the inclement weather we had a good crowd turn out. Po-

tatoes, tomatoes, zucchini squash, bell peppers and several types of

tomatoes were distributed.

We would LOVE nothing more than to have you join our team and

help us further God’s kingdom through the sharing of our harvest!!!

If you are interested in joining our ministry please contact:

Kelli Hindes (830)570-2388 or Cuatro Hindes (830)570-0248

SHARE THE HARVEST

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Share the Harvest Ministry Team

An update for The Williams Family

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“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning;” Ps. 30:5

Greetings to all from Canon City, Colorado. We thank the Lord for all of you and pray that you re-alize his mercies in your lives everyday. We have had the opportunity to see many of you over the last month and yet there are so many we are still aching to see. Thank you for your prayers, for lift-ing us up and helping us during this time of transition back to the U.S. We were able to pack up all of our things and move out of our home in Kaceri, Karamoja on April 16th. It was a hard time for our family and especially our kids as so many meaningful relationships have been made there. It was tough for the kids to say goodbye to friends they knew they would probably never see again.

We made the trip to Jinja, a city in the southern part of the country, where friends rented us a house for a month. Our goal of being down there was to be able to work more efficiently on adop-tion and immigration issues so that we could finalize that before leaving. The Father had other plans. No matter what road we took, all attempts to finalize the adoption came to a dead end. There would be no progress and no court dates before leaving for us. What did happen was the opportu-nity to connect with several families of believers who were starting a house church. We had an in-credibly joyful month of spending time with these families, getting to know them, hear and see their passion for the Lord and for expanding his kingdom. We felt very ministered to during this time and we were also happy to share our lives with them. We were encouraged that the Lord has his people all over the world who are not living for self, but for His glory and were reminded of that during this time. We continue to pray for the Jorys, Boones, Segners, Atus, and the other believers who are pursuing the Father in Southern Uganda. Thank you guys for taking time to include us in your lives!

Adoption continues to be a great challenge for us. We are still waiting on a judge to be allocated to us and finalizing court dates to be set. In the mean time we have tourist visas for Rikot and Acuka that allow them to be in the U.S. till May. Our lawyer originally told us we should have a court date around Easter and so we hoped to have this all completed when we left Uganda. We acknowledge that the Lord is in control and His plans are often different than ours. This isn't rhetoric or some-thing you say when things don't go right. This is a reality that we are slowly learning. God's plans aren't just for His glory but they are for our best. We can trust in them knowing that He is good and He is at work. What this means for us is that we will wait on word from the lawyer and when the court date is given, Kenneth, Rikot and Acuka will fly back to Uganda and stay there to see the proc-ess through. We could use your prayers, not just for the process to go smoothly but for our hearts to be humble and moldable as God takes us through this.

Settling in to the American way of life has been in many ways very easy – logistically. We have had friends and people help us from picking us up at the airport to getting us into a furnished house. We were able to find a vehicle right away. Feed My Sheep, the homeless shelter I worked at before going to Uganda, gave us their 15 passenger van to use until we could find a car. A friend called me before we ever left Uganda telling me that I had a job waiting for me working at a coffee shop. All these things have helped us get settled. We struggle culturally to fit into this place though. We long for community, not just the community that meets on Sunday morning but the kind that prays together early mornings throughout the week, that shares together in the trials of the week or the day and the kind that spurs us onward to serving the King. It is this that we hope and pray for the most. We are ever more aware of the consumeristic nature of our country and the ways that de-viancy and sin fills the bookshops, the stores, the advertisements and almost every aspect of soci-ety. We know that our country needs the gospel as much as any far reaching place in the world. Pray for us as we wait and listen to the Lord for what His plans are for us here. Our hearts are to bring light to this darkness knowing that His light lives within us.

Cont. on page 11

Karamoja is finally getting rain. It has come late (in June) but it has come and we are thankful for that. Our friends have really struggled and many have been on the brink of starvation this year. Rains are expected in April. The Meadors are experiencing large numbers of people at their door begging for help. Wari has struggled to find food for his family. He leaves his home for days if not weeks at a time, roaming and searching for food for his family. The church in Maaru is doing well. They are leading themselves now most of the time. Wari comes from time to time to lead, teach them more and then goes away to let them lead again. My plan is to go 3 times in the next year to encourage the believers, provide more teaching and direction, and to bring back a report to all of you who are invested and praying of how God is moving.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us and for Karamoja. Let us all be more com-mitted than ever to seeing God move in this place. Our focus and efforts on Karamoja have in no way diminished or lessened. We are simply moving into a new step; allowing the believers to lead and watching from afar. Let us keep praying fervently for new believers, disciples to be raised up, and congregations to form from village to village. We are now settled in Canon City, Colorado for this year. Kenneth works at a local coffee shop and we are in the process of starting up, Mountain Mama Roaster, a coffee roasting company that will invest in missions and the hurting across Uganda and the rest of the world as well as provide income for our family.

Prayer Requests

Adoption. Pray that we can complete this adoption process and that our children can get the necessary documents to become US Citizens.

Wari. Wari has many challenges in life. Trying to preach the gospel, travel village to village, while providing for his family is among those. Wari also has not paid the dowry for his wife and her family has been very difficult in the past. They send men to beat him periodically and do many other cruel things to extract money from him. This is very common in Karamoja. In Wari's case it is especially difficult because Wari is an orphan, has no extended family and no one to come to his defense. Pray that he will be strong in his faith and stand against the at-tacks of the enemy no matter what.

Akiru. Many of the Akiru ladies are experiencing struggles in their families right now. Longole was attacked in her own home recently but because she got the upper hand and hurt ther other lady, she has spent some time in jail. This lady continues to be a problem for Longole. Pray that God will teach Longole through this and that her new life in Christ will shine through.

Jeremy and Katie Spencer. The Spencers, along with their kids, are our newest team mem-bers. They are planning to move to Karamoja in October. Please pray for them that God will provide them with funding to go, infrastructure to support and pray for them.

Direction. Our family is waiting on the Lord to see what his next leading is for us.

We love you all and would love to hear from you.

Thanks as always for your prayer and support. If you have any suggestions for names for our new baby feel free to email those or facebook us. We still don't have one picked out.

In Christ,

Kenneth and Kristi Williams & Nevaeh, Rikot, Ezra, Zion, Israel, Selah, Acuka and ?

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In This Issue

Teaching Moments Freedom in Jesus Media Madness Games. Sites & Apps.

Religious Freedom

As we celebrate our many free-

doms this summer, it’s important

to remember those less fortunate,

including those who can’t worship

freely. Three quarters of the

world's population lives in areas

with severe religious restrictions,

the most persecuted being Chris-

tian, according to the Pew Re-

search Center.

Christian persecution is any hostil-

ity as a result of one’s identifica-

tion with Jesus, from verbal har-

assment to imprisonment, even

violent death. Around the world,

more than 100,000 Christians are

murdered each year for their faith,

says the Vatican.

Christians are forced to hide their

faith in more than 60 countries,

but mostly in the Middle East, where

Christianity was born. There, the number

of Christians has dropped significantly

even in the past three years, from 25

percent of the population in 2011 to just

10 percent today, says the U.S. Com-

mission on International Religious Free-

dom.

Politicians and religious leaders are

working to stop violence against Chris-

tians, using legislation, sanctions, and

public visits to affect change. Pope Fran-

cis recently made a trip to the Holy Land

to draw attention to those persecuted for

their faith.

To learn more how your family can pray

for and support efforts to combat Chris-

tian persecution, visit Opendoorsusa.org

and Opendoorsca.org.

POWERSOURCE ASK GOD:

1. To fortify world leaders working

to overcome religious persecu-

tion.

2. To guide you as you strengthen

your kids’ faith foundation.

3. For opportunities to teach your

kids about the freedom we have

in Jesus.

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TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Hope-Scotch

Here’s a quick game you can play at

home to teach your children how poor

choices weigh us down. Start with a

sturdy backpack, a sack of potatoes,

chalk, 25-30 index cards, and pens.

To Prepare: As a family, write positive

and negative choices on the cards,

such as “lying about doing my chores”

or “giving my friend the first turn.” Cre-

ate a hopscotch path on your sidewalk

or driveway.

To Play: One at a time, choose a card

from the pile and read it aloud. If your

family decides it’s a good choice, the

person gets to do the hopscotch with-

out the backpack. If it’s a bad choice,

add a potato to the backpack and wear

it while doing the hopscotch.

When the pack gets too heavy, discuss

how bad choices add up. Talk about

how Jesus’ sacrifice frees us from the

heavy burden and how his love helps

us make good choices.

Freedom in Jesus

To your kids, being a Christian might on the surface feel like a burden of

rules—a list of things they can’t do and fun they can’t have, especially as

they grow older and face even more worldly temptations. There are movies

they can’t watch, Web sites they can’t visit, and constant reminders not to

do many things. So how do we show kids that the freedom Jesus gives us

is different from—and infinitely better than—the type of freedom the world

has to offer? Here are ideas:

Kids start to learn about conse-

quences at a very young age. So

you can use many situations to

make the point that God gave us

rules to live by because he made

us, understands what’s best for us,

and loves us. He wants us to live

our best lives.

Food Choices: Our food choices

affect how we feel for the day. As

kids choose their snacks or meals,

think through with them which

foods are the best choices and

why. As kids get older, they’ll learn

there are other consequences for

making bad food choices, too, such

as cavities and lack of energy to

participate in fun things such as

sports.

Secrets: Ask kids to think about a

time they kept a secret about

something they did wrong, a bad

choice they made. Tell them to

think about how they might have

had to lie to someone they loved to

keep that secret. Ask:

Explain how you felt when you

didn’t tell the truth about the secret.

How did that compare to telling the

truth about something, even when

it was difficult to do so?

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set

you free.” —John 8:32

Pets: If you have a pet, talk with

your child about what would hap-

pen if you didn’t have rules for

your pet. Ask:

Why do we put Tigger on a leash

when we go for a walk?

What might happen if we never

told Tigger “no”?

Explain why you think rules are

good for our pet.

TV Characters: Use the choices

of characters in movies and on

television as a learning tool. Ask:

What choices led to the outcome?

How might different choices have

changed things?

What would you tell that person

about how to make good choices?

Also look for ways to illustrate the

difference between fixing one bad

choice versus the effects of ongo-

ing bad choices. Does the charac-

ter redeem himself from a bad

choice? How is the damage worse

when a bad habit forms?

Use these ideas to point out posi-

tive consequences of good deci-

sions, too, such as good grades,

healthy bodies, and trustworthy

friendships. Discuss how what

feels like freedom in the moment

can actually harm us if it’s not part

of God’s plan for us.

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MEDIA MADNESS

MOVIE

Title: Planes: Fire & Rescue

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Rating: PG (for adventure action and

some peril)

Cast: character voices by Dane Cook,

Julie Bowen, Corri English, Ed Harris

Synopsis: Dusty is a world-famous air

racer who learns that his racing days may

soon be over. When he joins forces with

an elite firefighting team including a vet-

eran rescue helicopter and some brave

all-terrain vehicles to battle a massive

wildfire, he learns what it means to be a

true hero.

Our Take: This sequel to Planes from last

year does a respectable job in teaching

kids that success isn’t about fame but

using your gifts to help others.

MUSIC

Artist: Taylor Franklyn

Album: Breathe In

Artist Info: From Denver, CO, this 23-

year-old fearlessly combines electronic

dance music with Christian lyrics.

Summary: Taylor has reached the Top 100 Electro and Trance singles on Beatport with this release.

Our Take: While electronic dance mu-

sic has a hint of a negative reputation,

its popularity is undeniable among

kids. Taylor Franklyn’s Breathe In re-

lease has a bright, relaxing beat and

features positive lyrics such as this: “If

you’re fallen and have nowhere to

go…breathe in my lungs and have life

everlasting.”

Games, Sites & Apps

Mario Kart 8 Players can drive on al-

most any surface and even

upside-down with the new

anti-gravity feature in this

version, which debuts a

marketing partnership with

Mercedes. Kids will love

the reliable action in

Mario’s world. Rating: E;

Wii U

Faithgirlz.com “Being a Faithgirl isn’t

about rules and people

who lived thousands of

years ago,” says the site

publisher. “It’s about

knowing you’re loved,

sharing with others, and

resting in God’s prom-

ises.” Find crafts, recipes,

devotions, blogs, and re-

sources for parents.

Word Creativity Kit

App

This $2.99 iPhone and

iPad app encourages

creativity with words and

pictures. Kids can make

virtual books to share with

their friends. The app pro-

vides random words on

the page to jumpstart the

creative process. Available

in the App Store.

CULTURE & TRENDS

Doing Vs. Watching—Active tasks such as singing or arts and crafts make children hap-pier, according to Oxford Uni-versity researchers. Tests show that passive activities such as looking at picture books or watching television, don’t con-tribute to kids’ happiness. (660news.com)

QUICK

STATS

@#$&*!—New research reveals

that boys are more likely to say

bad words than girls. That is,

except between ages 3 and 4,

when girls outpaced the boys

not only in frequency but also in

the depth of their bad-word

vocabulary. (mcla.edu)

7.5%—Approximately 1 out of

every 13 children is taking at

least one medication for emo-

tional or behavioral problems.

Doctors are more likely to pre-

scribe these drugs to low-

income kids than their peers in

higher-income levels. Over half

(55 percent) of parents report

that these psychiatric medica-

tions help their children “a lot.”

(foxnews.com; nbcnews.com)

This page is designed to help educate parents and isn’t meant

to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help

you make informed decisions about what your children watch,

read, listen to, and play.

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Kids Day on July 8th

$18 each (includes playtime, hot dog, drink and ice cream)

Only 20 spots available. Ages 10 and under

Inflatable Wonderland is the leader in indoor bounce house entertainment for your

children. Inflatable Wonderland San Antonio is an 18,000 square-foot facility featuring:

Six large bounce houses and slides for older children.

A nice toddler area for children 5 and under with four bounces and slides, a tunnel,

and climbers.

Variety of arcade games, air hockey, basketball games and more

Inflatable Wonderland also offers a full concession stand full of delicious eats for the

whole family including made-to-order pizza!

6909 N. Loop 1604 E. #2063 San Antonio, TX 78247

(Located in Rolling Oaks Mall)

Sign up sheet on table at the back of the church.

Or see Christy Reed for more details. Must have a waiver signed by all participants.

Issue 61

Our Links

www.cowboyfellowship.org

Cowboy Fellowship

P.O. Box 68

Pleasanton, TX 78064

July 2014

IN GOD WE TRUST