Mysterious Ways

We have come to the end of the Week YES! my friends it's FRIDAY! I am so GRATEFUL that we have made it to Friday the hand of God was and still is upon our lives with these words of wisdom Read: Job 40:1-14 Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 7-9; John 11:1-29 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways. —Isaiah 55:9 When my son began attending Chinese language classes, I marveled at the papers he brought home after his first session. As a native English speaker, it was difficult for me to understand how the written characters related to the spoken words. The language seemed incredibly complex to me—almost incomprehensible. Sometimes I feel the same sense of bewilderment when I consider the way God operates. I know He has said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isa. 55:8). Still, there’s a part of me that feels like I should be able to understand why God allows certain things to happen. After all, I read His Word regularly and His Holy Spirit lives inside of me. When I feel entitled to understand God’s ways, I try to recommit myself to humility. I remember that Job did not get an explanation for all his heartache (Job 1:5,8). He struggled to understand, but God asked him: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?” (40:2). Job contritely responded, “What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth” (v.4). Job was speechless before God’s greatness. Although God’s ways may seem to be mysterious and unfathomable at times, we can rest confidently that they are higher than our ways. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt Father, please help me to trust You even when I don’t understand why things happen as they do. Please comfort my heart and remind me of Your goodness and love. If you know that God’s hand is in everything, you can leave everything in God’s hand. INSIGHT: In trying to explain why he was suffering, Job argued that he had not committed any wrong deserving of such punishment. In so justifying himself, Job was in essence questioning God’s fairness and justice (40:8; see also Job 21,24). God confronted Job, asserting that only He is qualified and has the absolute power, wisdom, and ability to rule this world justly (40:15-24).

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

On this Day and Everyday I just want to STOP and take a moment to reflect on ALL the Men and Women who have served I want to say Thank You from the bottom of my Heart. Just want 2 wish U and Yours a HAPPIE MEMORIAL DAY! May this day be filled with JOY & BLESSINGS President Obama Delivers Remarks at Arlington National Cemetery President Obama Lays Wreath at Arlington National Cemetery

Our Strength And Song

Even though the weekend has come to an end and we are starting the new week off on a Holiday let's take a moment to reflect on this Read: Exodus 15:1–2,13–18 Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 25-27; John 9:1-23 The Lord shall reign forever and ever. —Exodus 15:18 Often called “The March King,” composer and band director John Philip Sousa created music that has been played by bands around the world for more than a hundred years. As Loras John Schissel, music historian and conductor of the Virginia Grand Military Band, said, “Sousa is to marches what Beethoven is to symphonies.” Sousa understood the power of music to motivate, encourage, and inspire people. In Old Testament times, the people of Israel were often inspired to compose and sing songs to celebrate God’s help during times of need. When the Lord saved His people from certain destruction by Pharaoh’s army, “Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord . . . ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation’ ” (Ex. 15:1-2). Music has the power to lift our spirits by reminding us of God’s faithfulness in the past. When we’re discouraged, we can sing songs and hymns that raise our eyes from the challenging circumstances we face to see the power and presence of the Lord. We are reminded that He is our strength, our song, and our salvation. —David McCasland Trust in Him, ye saints, forever— He is faithful, changing never; Neither force nor guile can sever Those He loves from Him. —Kelly Songs of praise raise our eyes to see God’s faithfulness. INSIGHT: Moses’s song after the Israelites had passed through the Red Sea and were delivered from the pursuing Egyptians has two perspectives—one looking back and one looking forward. In the first verses, Moses reflects on what God has done to deliver His people (vv. 1-2). In the later verses, Moses looks forward to what God will do to establish His people in their new land (vv. 13-18).

Wisdom Seekers

We have come to the end of the Week it's FRIDAY! YES! I am so Grateful that we have ALL made it to the end of the week, so let's take a moment to reflect on ALL that GOD has done for us with Read: Proverbs 3:1-18 Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 16-18; John 7:28-53 Blessed are those who find wisdom. —Proverbs 3:13 niv Every spring colleges and universities hold commencement ceremonies to celebrate the success of students who have completed their studies and earned their degrees. After the students cross the stage, these graduates will enter a world that will challenge them. Just having academic knowledge won’t be good enough. The key to success in life will be in wisely applying everything they have learned. Throughout Scripture, wisdom is celebrated as a treasure that is worth seeking. It is better than riches (Prov. 3:13-18). Its source is God, who alone is perfectly wise (Rom. 16:27). And it is found in the actions and attitude of Jesus, in whom “all the treasures of wisdom” are found (Col. 2:3). Wisdom comes from reading and applying the Scripture. We have an example of this in the way Jesus applied His knowledge when He was tempted (Luke 4:1-13). In other words, the truly wise person tries to see life from God’s point of view and chooses to live according to His wisdom. What’s the payoff for this kind of life? Proverbs tells us that wisdom is like sweetness of honey on the tongue (Prov. 24:13-14). “Blessed are those who find wisdom” (3:13 niv). So seek wisdom, for it is more profitable than silver or gold! —Joe Stowell Lord, strengthen my resolve to live by the wisdom that comes only from You. Give me the discernment to live all of life from Your point of view that I might know the blessings of a life lived wisely. Blessing comes from seeking wisdom and living by it.

Today is World IBD Day

Here is the May issue of CCFA Newsletter. Providing Hope and Inspiring Action | Latest News from CCFA Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Letter from our President & CEO In honor of today being World IBD Day, CCFA and more than 40 countries around the world are releasing videos as part of a global video campaign that calls for anyone impacted by inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to share their story in a short video with the unifying theme of #UnitedWeStand2015. Worldwide, five million people live with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. All videos can also be viewed on the World IBD Day website. We are proud to announce that for the fourth year in a row, we have achieved a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator – America's premier charity evaluator – for sound fiscal management, commitment to accountability and transparency. Charity Navigator highlights the work of efficient, ethical and open charities to give donors confidence in the charitable choices they make. Only 8% of the charities rated have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, which indicates that we outperform most other charities in America! We are extremely proud of this rating and hope it reinforces that we are putting your generosity to good work. Richard J. Geswell, CCFA President and CEO Thank you, Richard J. Geswell Richard J. Geswell President & CEO Introducing Game-Changing Research Initiative: IBD Plexus CCFA is excited to announce a game-changer for IBD research – IBD Plexus. Thanks to a $17.5 million grant from The Helmsley Charitable Trust, this multi-dimensional knowledge platform integrates scientific, medical and patient data. IBD Plexus is one of our biggest research initiatives yet, involving every stakeholder – from academic and industry researchers, to clinicians and other healthcare providers, and more than 40,000 patients of all ages. Designed to enable novel research and speed progress toward precision medicine, CCFA hopes IBD Plexus will lead to better diagnostics, treatments and, ultimately, a cure for those with IBD. READ MORE ► Support Crohn's and Colitis Fairness Act Advocacy is an important part of our mission. In our ongoing efforts to support IBD research, we are happy to report that IBD has been listed as condition eligible for study under the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program. As a result, five IBD research grants were recently announced by the DOD. The more research being conducted, the closer we are to cures. To learn more about CCFA advocacy and to get involved, visit our website. The New York State legislature introduced NY Bill A00277 to address bathroom access issues for IBD patients. Contact Katie Pouga (Greater NYC area including Fairfield county) or Chris Joyce (rest of New York State) to help support this bill! Inform Yourself: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Many patients are interested in using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to their current medical therapy. While less research has been done on the safety and effectiveness of CAM, more information and evaluation is being made available as the number of scientific trials for these therapies increase. Always discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor when considering any kind of new therapy. For more information, please check out our fact sheet, reach out to our IBD Help Center at info@ccfa.org, or watch our new webcast archive on CAM. Help us find cures Your gift funds cutting-edge research and supports programs at CCFA. Please donate today and help us find cures! Donate now Take Steps this Spring It's been a great spring walk season so far and we're not stopping. We will be Taking Steps until the end of June so there is plenty of time to get involved. If you haven't already, we encourage you to find a walk near you by visiting our website. REGISTER ► Facebook Live: Complementary and Alternative Therapies Wednesday, May 20th from 5pm-6pm EST. Join Dr. Joshua Korzenik from Brigham and Women's Hospital as he answers your questions on Complementary and Alternative Therapies. TUNE IN ► Tweetchat on World IBD Day Our next CCFA tweetchat is today, Tuesday, May 19th – World IBD Day! From 4pm-5pm EST, we'll be discussing and answering questions about IBD. Join the conversation on Twitter using #WorldIBDDayQA. Follow us @CCFA and @IBDHelpCenter on Twitter. READ MORE ► Webcast on CCFA Partners Want to join a community of over 14,000 members and participate in groundbreaking research for IBD? Be sure to join us for our webcast on Tuesday, June 2nd , 8pm-9pm EST to learn more about CCFA Partners: a patient powered research network. REGISTER ► Search our resources Find your chapter IBD Clinical Trials and Other Studies CCFA provides a comprehensive database of studies, clinical trials and other research on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the recently added studies include: A Phase III Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicenter, Parallel Group Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Fixed-dose Combination RHB-104 in subjects with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease conducted by RedHill Biopharma. Deciding whether to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision, best made with a full understanding of the drug development process and a participant's role. Take Steps Team Challenge CCFA Facebook CCFA Twitter CCFA YouTube CCFA Pinterest Forward Donate to CCFA Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America 7​33 Th​ird Av​en​ue, Sui​te 51​0, Ne​w Y​ork,​ N​Y 10​01​7 www.ccfa.org | 8​00-​93​2-​2​423 Talk with an I​BD Info​rmation Specialist at 88​8.M​y.Gu​t.P​ain | 8​88-​69​4-8​87​2 Unsubscribe or update your email preferences CCFA has a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator Click here to Reply or Forward 1.86 GB (12%) of 15 GB used Manage Terms - Privacy Last account activity: 1 day ago Details Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America Show details

One Step Closer

As we prepare to start this New Week with Read: Romans 13:10-14 Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 4-6; John 6:1-21 Now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. —Romans 13:11 Some years ago a friend and I set out to climb Mount Whitney. At 14,505 feet, it is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. We arrived at Whitney Portal late one evening, rolled out our sleeping bags at base camp, and tried to get some sleep before we began our ascent at first light. Whitney is not a technical climb but rather a long, exhausting walk—11 miles of relentless ascent. The climb, though hard-going, was exhilarating, with stunning vistas, beautiful blue lakes, and lush meadows along the way. But the trail grew long and exhausting, a test for legs and lungs. I thought of turning back as the day wore on and the trail seemed to stretch endlessly before us. Occasionally, however, I caught a glimpse of the summit and realized that each step was bringing me one step closer. If I just kept walking, I would get there. That was the thought that kept me going. Paul assures us, “Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11). Every day brings us one day closer to that great day when we shall “summit” and see our Savior’s face. That’s the thought that can keep us going. —David Roper Dear Lord, may I, for the joy set before me, endure with patience the hardship of the trail. When my journey is over, I will see You face to face and live with You forever. Now we see Jesus in the Bible, but someday we’ll see Him face to face. INSIGHT: Paul often discusses the need to walk (live) properly. He writes to the church in Ephesus to remind them to walk in the light of good deeds because they have been saved by God’s grace (Eph. 2:1-10). To the church in Rome, he prescribes a different motivation for living according to the Lord Jesus Christ—because “salvation is nearer” (Rom. 13:11). Because the time of the Lord’s return is approaching, we are to leave behind the deeds of darkness.

A Survivor’s Thoughts

YES! We have made it to the end of the week it's FRIDAY! so let's take a moment to reflect on this. Read: Romans 9:1-5 Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 22-23; John 4:31-54 I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren. —Romans 9:3 After a 71-year-old South Korean woman was rescued during the tragic sinking of a ferry boat, she struggled with survivor’s guilt. From her hospital bed she said she couldn’t understand how it could be right for her to have lived through an accident that had taken the lives of many who were so much younger. She also regretted not knowing the name of the young man who had pulled her out of the water after she had given up hope. Then she added, “I want to buy him a meal at least, or hold his hand, or give him a hug.” This woman’s heart for others reminds me of the apostle Paul. He was so concerned about his neighbors and countrymen that he said he wished he could trade his own relationship with Christ for their rescue: “I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren” (Rom. 9:2-3). Paul also expressed a deep sense of personal gratitude. He knew he didn’t understand the ways and judgments of God (see vv.14-24). So while doing everything he could to proclaim the gospel to all, he found peace and joy in trusting the heart of a God who loves the whole world so much more than we ever could. —Mart DeHaan Lord God, Your ways are so far beyond our comprehension, yet we know without doubt that You love us. Help us trust Your loving heart with the things we don’t understand. Gratitude to God leads to growth in godliness. INSIGHT: Even though Paul was “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8), his heart’s desire was to see his own people—the Jews—come to faith in Jesus (Rom. 9:2-3). In Romans 9–11 Paul discussed the continuing unbelief of the Jews, but he assured them that they had not been rejected. He reminded them of their privileged status (v. 4), and the climax of these privileges is that the Messiah—the Savior—is Himself a Jew (v. 5).