Here’s the video (8m 44s):

Colossians 1:17 says:

¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So, all things are held together in Christ. According to the Wikipedia article on laminin, it is a cell adhesion protein molecule that, in essence, glues the parts of our bodies together. Christ and laminin, then, perform the same function of holding things together.

If it stopped there, it would be cool enough, but there’s more. Check out the following scientific diagram of laminin:

Not only does laminin hold things together like Christ, it actually looks like the cross upon which Christ died for our sins. How awesome is that!?

When we arrived at the hospital, we split into two groups to tackle the two projects; the girls took care of assembling 150 care packages provided by the March of Dimes and the guys assembled 24 binders. Even though there were only three of us, it didn’t take the guys long to put together the binders, so we helped the NICU staff move some things to storage on a different floor of the hospital.

On our way back up from the storage area, I asked the staff member (I believe her name was Cindy) if she could show us around the NICU. She said that she would be glad to, but she couldn’t take us inside the NICU because the babies are very susceptible to the weakest of colds that we often carry.

I was amazed to find out that the department has 38 beds that are almost always full and that the average stay for a NICU baby is a month, though one patient has been there for five months. Cindy also pointed out some of the equipment they use, including an incubator with a blue light attached to the top of it. I asked if the device was used to keep the child warm, but it turned out to be a phototherapy light used to treat newborns with neonatal jaundice.

It was great to be able to help the NICU staff, but it was a sobering experience.  I had no idea there were so many children in NICUs, and this was only one hospital.  I hope that I can bring my youth group up sometime soon to help the staff, as they were very appreciative we could help them.  A project that took a dozen young adults an hour would have taken a staff member several hours to complete, which means less time to be with patients and their families.

If you’re a member of a service organization that’s looking for projects, I highly recommend contacting your local/regional hospital’s NICU staff to see if there’s anything they need help with.

¹¹ The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

How often do I want God to communicate with me by way of a sign such as a huge wind, an earthquake or a fire? Practically all the time, though not through those exact methods. How often do I want God to communicate with me by way of a gentle whisper? Rarely, if ever. Which method does He typically use? Unfortunately for me, the latter.

Even if He did speak through fires or strong winds, would it change how I respond? I’d like to answer with a definitive “Of course!” but I’m not entirely sure it would, as it takes more than seeing a blazing fire or healing and feeling a strong wind. Instead, it takes a strong faith, a faith like Mary showed during her encounter with the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-38:

²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ³⁷For nothing is impossible with God.”

³⁸“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Talk about a disciple!

Instead of asking why she was chosen or if she can think about it for a bit and get back to Gabriel (like I do), Mary willingly accepts God’s call, asking only “How can I have a child if I’m a virgin?” After a brief explanation from Gabriel, Mary replies with the simple, pure response that God wishes we’d all say: Yes!

I can only wish that someday I’ll have a tenth, even a hundredth, of the faith this young woman had!

THE GAP is a parachurch ministry that desires to provide a network of believers for young adults in the valley through unity, growth and service opportunities. In turn, we hope to challenge young adults in their spiritual walk throughout the week so they may return to their home church Sunday mornings and serve within the ministries at their home church.

I had been looking for some type of young adult group to be a part of for quite some time, so needless to say I was very excited when I learned about this opportunity.

After several weeks of not being able to attend the group’s weekly Bible study due to conflicts (Vacation Bible School, working late, hometown work camp and working late, again), last night I finally made it to a meeting. In attendance at the meeting were myself, two other guys and five ladies.

The study was led by one of the young ladies and she talked about controlling your thoughts and focusing them heavenward instead of on earthly things. The study was well prepared, but I was in the awkward position of not knowing what the evening’s topic was before I arrived (it appeared that they were in the middle of a series where each member covers a predetermined topic).

The group was very welcoming, especially the leaders/founders Evan and Heather, so I’ll definitely be going back again. For those who live in the area, their next event is this Friday, August 17 at 6:00; it’s a barbecue picnic held at the Selinsgrove Church of the Nazarene. Weekly Bible studies are held Tuesdays at 6:00 at an apartment on Nichols Alley, about two blocks west on Park Road from Routes 11 & 15 (the intersection where Papa John’s is located).