Category: Spiritual Development

Strengthen Your Spirit, Mind, and Community

Posted on by Kate Haslar

Join the YMCA 20-Day Gratitude Challenge

November 18 – December 13

Between an intense political cycle, fall colds and flu season beginning, and impending holidays, it’s easy to become stressed and lose focus on what’s important. The Y works to strengthen the community through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all, which is why we’re sharing our 20-Day Gratitude Challenge outside of our walls and with the larger community.

This four-week journey is dedicated to embracing gratitude, cultivate well-being, connection, and positivity within our community and everyone is invited to participate. With the season of giving and thanks upon us, now is the perfect time to reflect on what makes life meaningful and to find joy in the small moments we might otherwise overlook.

Why a Gratitude Challenge?

Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to promote mental and emotional well-being. Studies show that consistent gratitude can reduce stress, improve mood, and even enhance physical health by promoting better sleep and encouraging a positive mindset. Through daily reflection, the Gratitude Challenge can help us shift our focus from everyday stressors to life’s small blessings, boosting resilience and perspective.

How It Works

The 20-Day Gratitude Challenge is simple and accessible for everyone. Here’s the plan:

1. Five Minutes, Five Days a Week: Each weekday, set aside just five minutes to write down what you’re grateful for. We’ll provide prompts each week to guide you.

2. Weekly Reflection Sheets: At the end of each week, turn in your completed gratitude sheet at the front desk to earn reward points and be entered into our grand prize drawing for a free month of YMCA membership.

3. Build Momentum with Weekly Themes: Each week, we’ll introduce a new theme to inspire reflection, such as gratitude for small joys, personal growth, and community support.

Throughout the challenge, you’ll experience the power of gratitude and have the chance to earn rewards while sharing the journey with fellow Y members. The more weeks you complete, the more entries you’ll receive for our grand prize drawing!

Ready to get started? Here’s how to participate:

Download the journal below. There is a fillable pdf Printed copies will be available at Member Services
Download a Printable Copy
Download a Fillable Copy

Weekly Themes & Prompts

To make it easy to get started, each week will have a theme to help you reflect on different aspects of life:

Week 1: Small Joys – Notice the little things that bring happiness, like a warm cup of coffee or a friendly hello.

Week 2: Connection – Reflect on the people who support, encourage, and inspire you.

Week 3: Growth – Think about the personal strengths, skills, and resilience you’ve developed.

Week 4: Community – Celebrate the community around you, from friends and family to your Y family.

By the end of the month, you’ll have created a powerful reminder of all the things that bring meaning to your life. Imagine the power of a community of grateful individuals – together, we can uplift each other and foster an environment of positivity and well-being.

Benefits of Gratitude Journaling

The benefits of gratitude extend beyond our individual lives. Here are some things you could gain from participating:

  • Reduced Stress & Anxiety: By focusing on positives, gratitude helps reduce stress, fostering a sense of calm and optimism.
  • Stronger Connections: Reflecting on relationships cultivates appreciation and encourages us to strengthen bonds with those around us.
  • Improved Mental Health: Gratitude journaling can elevate mood, lower depressive symptoms, and create a more resilient mindset.
  • Physical Health Boosts: Practicing gratitude has even been linked to better sleep and improved motivation for healthy activities.

The 20-Day YMCA Gratitude Challenge is more than a journaling exercise; it’s an opportunity to strengthen our community by fostering a culture of thankfulness and connection. When we focus on what we’re grateful for, we’re reminded of the positive impact of our YMCA family, and together, we can make the Y a brighter place for everyone.

Don’t miss out on this chance to nurture your spirit and connect with our incredible YMCA community.

YMCA Week of Prayer

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

JOIN US IN A WEEK OF DEVOTIONAL ACTIVITIES!

The World YWCA and World YMCA have partnered together since 1904 to organize the
World Week of Prayer. Use this booklet and plan to join us this year, November 10–16, 2024.
You can take part individually or form a small group and work through the short devotion each
day together.

ABOUT THE THEME

The theme of the World Week of Prayer 2024 is based on the four classical elements: water, earth, fire and wind. Through the week we will explore different aspects of the elements as they are described and experienced in scripture and our daily life. The prayers offer both a reflective perspective as well as a call for igniting change.

We hope the World Week of Prayer 2024 will help us become anchored in faith, trusting God’s guidance, guided by the light as we serve with purpose and share God’s love.

There are bible readings, introductions, interpretations and applications, questions/reflection points, and a prayer of blessing for each of the six days.
Download the devotional

The Power of Belief

Posted on by Kate Haslar

A Spiritual Reflection based on John 4:46-54

Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

There is an account in John’s gospel of Jesus healing a government official’s son. What is unique about this healing account is that Jesus was nowhere near the son when he performed this miracle. That’s possibly the most incredible part of the account.  And while it’s worth noting, it’s not what these thoughts here are focused on. In the dialogue between Jesus and this official, there is a statement that might be overlooked, simply because this miracle is so extraordinary.

To set the stage of this account, Jesus returned to the area in which he performed his first public miracle, the turning of water into wine. And when he arrived, this government official heard he was near and sought him out. He found Jesus and shared with him his son’s illness, pleading with urgency for him to come to his home and heal his son because there was not much hope. In fact, Scripture says that he was very near death. Jesus listened but remained where he was. His simple response to the official was, “Go; your son will live.”

“The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” John 4:50

There are two things that jump off the page here. First, the words of Jesus have incredible power. And for us to understand the second point, we must believe that the words spoken by our Master are absolute truth and carry life-giving, transformational power. We can go nowhere else for truth. And it’s the words of Jesus that will bring not only his plan and purposes for us, but those same words, the truths we read in the gospels and in Scripture, will transform our hearts and our lives from death to life.

The second thing that we see in this simple verse is faith. It is a man’s simple belief. John records that this official “believed” the words of Jesus. He had not even yet known of his son’s healing (which is recorded in verses 51-54 of chapter four), but he still believed. That’s what faith is, and this is a beautiful picture of faith being lived out. He didn’t have to see it with his eyes before he believed it. The words of Jesus were enough for him.

The question this leads us to is this: do we believe? Do we trust that the teachings of Jesus are truth? Do we believe that his words will lead us to life? In no way can we see tomorrow, nor the plans God has for us, but we can believe. We must believe because the words of our Master are as true for each of us as they were for the official and his son. And when we respond in faith, when we simply believe Jesus, we find on the other side of our response is life.

Oh, may it be said of this generation that we “believed the word that Jesus spoke.”

“The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.”

John 4:50

Providing Hope: South Dakota Mission Trip 2024

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

A team of five from the Glacial Community YMCA recently joined the National Service Project of the YMCA Alumni Association in Dupree, South Dakota. This initiative, now in its fifth year of construction, aims to create a livable community for single mothers on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The program, facilitated by the YMCA of the Seven Council Fires in Dupree, will provide three to six months of transitional housing and resources to help these young families create a sustainable lifestyle after their time at the Y.

Our Y team was part of a larger group of 24 volunteers from across the country that assisted in constructing the fourth home on the site. All week they carried lumber, measured, measured again, sawed, drilled, hammered, and caulked. In the process, they learned a lot and built lasting relationships with like-minded leaders. “From learning to use a table saw to meeting people from all over the country, including our honorary Y teammate from Italy, this trip was filled with memorable experiences,” said Pam Buss. “I’d love to do this again, or maybe even venture onto another mission trip.”

Todd Stamper observed, “It was eye-opening to see how the Lakota tribe lives, which made it very clear these homes are necessary. With anywhere from 10 to 15 people living in a single house, you can see the importance of providing a mother and child their own space, along with the opportunity to find a job and a permanent home.” 

Together the volunteers were able to move the project ahead quite substantially. Director of Spiritual Development, Bruce Osborn noted that once the project is completed, “the Glacial Community YMCA will be able to say we had a hand in providing hope for families in one of the most impoverished communities and counties in the nation.” The Y hopes to send a second team to help finish the project in the fall of 2025. 

“the Glacial Community YMCA will be able to say we had a hand in providing hope for families in one of the most impoverished communities and counties in the nation.”

We’d love to hear your Y story!

Share Your Story

All Things New: Holy Week Devotional

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

This time of year before Easter is celebrated as Lent in many Christian traditions. The last week before Easter is called Holy Week. These days leading up to Easter are about remembering, renewal and redemption.

Explore Holy Week with our All Things New, Holy Week Reflections for the Whole Family.

Get a hard copy at the Y or download the pdf.

DOWNLOAD ALL THINGS NEW

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

-2 Corinthians 5:17

Treasures of the Heart

Posted on by Kate Haslar

Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a poet and essayist in the 17th century, said, “Beware what you set your heart upon. For it shall surely be yours.” It is amazing how the heart drives our emotions, our will, our passions, and our desires. When you truly set your heart to something, you find that your motivation will soon follow. So beware, as Emerson says, because as your heart is stirred and motivated, so go your feet.

The heart is a central theme in the teachings of the Bible. Many times, throughout scripture the heart is used to serve as a measuring stick of our commitment to God. For example, with all our heart we are to love and serve God (Dt 6:5). The condition of our heart is reflected in our words and our actions (Matt. 12:34). And we find that our priorities are revealed by the motivations of our heart. Many of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 can be traced back to the condition of our heart. In the middle of that sermon, Jesus tells us these words, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What is it that you treasure? What do you find yourself thinking of when no other task is demanding your attention? If you could follow your heart today, where would it lead? The answer to those questions will determine your treasure. Jesus taught us to not put our attention toward those things that don’t really matter in the long run; the things that will break, that will run out, or that someone can take from us. Instead, He taught us to put our focus on the things that matter in eternity; relationships, time, service, and the things that you really can’t put a price tag on. As we share our faith in Christ through our actions and our words, we are training our heart to value the eternal treasures. And we will find that the things of the world that are only temporary will soon become less attractive and will not captivate our attention like they once did.

It’s not wrong to have things in this world. But when we allow them to become our treasure, the purpose of life, we have lost focus on the kind of life that Jesus came to show us. And by allowing ourselves to be led by those temporary treasures we will soon find that it will only lead to a disappointed and discouraged heart, an empty life. Retraining the heart to value things of eternal significance is not easy, but it is possible. It’s done one choice at a time. And it starts with your choices you will make today.

"The heart is the happiest when it beats for others."

- from God’s Little Instruction Book 

Cast Away

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

A Spiritual Reflection
Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

The apostle Peter was a fisherman. It was his career. More than that, it was his life. I imagine that, like most people who enjoy fishing, he was on the water most mornings as the sun would rise over the horizon, getting a head start on the day. For Peter, most days looked the same. Same rituals. Same boat. Most likely saying hello to the same fishermen as he prepared his nets for the day. He knew the routine and he knew it well.  Except for one day when a stranger strolled by on the shore and called for his attention. This is the day that would change this fisherman’s life forever. In a quick exchange of words, Peter came face to face with not only his humanity but Jesus’ divinity. And Peter, from that day forward would no longer be a fisherman of fish, but of men and women. He left his boat, his way of life, and gave all to follow this Rabbi, Jesus.

There are many things we can learn from Peter. Some of the things we learn from his recorded failures, but some are valuable lessons from who he was created to be – a fisherman. In his writings to the Christians who had been scattered throughout the region, Peter urges them, among many other exhortations, to live for God, to be submissive to the authorities appointed by God, and to be living stones and a holy priesthood. He taught what it meant to suffer for doing good and to live clear-minded and self-controlled lives. But it was one of his encouragements that captures the attention of all of us who know Christ and live in this world, surrounded by pain and difficulties.  It is in the closing verses of his first book that we find this simple command, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7).

I used to fish occasionally. My idea of casting involved holding a rod and reel in my right hand and with a simple, fluid motion, springing from my elbow and wrist, I would throw my line into the water. Simple. So, when I read that verse above, I imagine the easy, peaceful task of casting a line into the water. But Peter, through his life and writings, gives us a completely different image. Have you ever been to the coast and watched a fisherman cast a net? It is a full-body movement. The leg muscles, back muscles, and both arms are engaged. Springing from a low position to a fully extended one, the fisherman hurls the net out over the water, hoping the net will unfold in mid-flight, landing perfectly on its surface. And it’s not just a one-time action. This continues all day until the fisherman has caught their limit. It must have been an exhausting way to earn a living for Peter. But the imagery his livelihood gives us, matched with his words, is priceless. 

The truth we learn from Peter here is that our cares in this life can be tiresome to carry around.  And our “casting” them on our Lord has to be a complete action. It is as if when we throw them off our shoulders and onto Christ’s, we can do it with full confidence that He is able to catch them. And by doing so, we are set free from the webbing, the netting that our cares bring with them. That webbing can trip us if we’re not careful. If we leave them at our feet, we’ll stumble over them and fall. Peter teaches us to start low and with our full body strength, cast them on Jesus. By doing so, your cares are completely taken away.  Jesus is now your burden bearer.  And He is strong enough to carry them. 

So don’t carry your troubles around on your shoulders any longer. Pick them up, give the world a wooohooo! and cast them on the shoulders of the One who can handle them.

Why?  “Because He cares for you.”

I Peter 5:7

Every Day’s a Holiday

Posted on by Katie Anderson

Written by Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

If you’ve spent any time with our Service Without Boundaries population, you have probably met Jacob. And if you’ve had the chance to meet him, you can’t forget him, nor can you forget his positivity. It can be contagious. And if you don’t catch it, it will most certainly lift your spirit for the day and make any burdens you might be carrying seem just a little bit lighter for the moment.

Most every day, when my path crosses his, our greeting goes something like this:

Me: “Hey Jacob, how’s it going”?

Jacob, with a big smile: “Every day’s a holiday.”

And by the way he responds with that statement, I know that’s not a half-hearted greeting. He truly believes it. I am sure he has his moments, like we all do. But it never shows. He bleeds positivity. He is an encourager, just by the way he relates to those around him.

In the writings of the apostle Paul, he gives a wealth of instruction to Christians to be encouragers. In fact, there are some twenty-five references in his New Testament writings to encourage others. One of my favorites is in Romans 12, where he writes these words:

“We all have different gifts…if (yours) is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement…”

We have too much division and negativity in our world today. And it’s fed by twenty-four-hour news sources, social media, and all forms of media readily available at the click of a button. It can almost be all-consuming if you allow it to be. But we have control over what we allow to influence our attitudes and behaviors. The question we must wrestle with is what are we allowing into our minds and hearts to be that influence?

I don’t know about you, but I could use more of Jacob’s influence and a lot less of the culture around me.

This week, we’ll celebrate our nation’s independence. It’s one of the best holidays of the year for most everyone. It’s a time to reflect on the freedoms we have as a nation. Wouldn’t it be nice if every day was like Independence Day? Maybe a moment to reflect is what we all need this coming weekend; on our freedoms, our part in the culture that’s been and is being created around us, or on how we can be an influence for good by using the spiritual gifts we’ve been given, just like Jacob does every day.

We have the power to choose what is good and what is right.  And we have the opportunity every day to allow that choice to be a positive influence in our world. When we realize just how powerful our words and attitudes can impact those around us, and like Jacob, we choose attitudes and words of encouragement, we begin to see that truly “every day’s a holiday.”

Happy Independence Day! Keep shining your light for what is good and what is right. And like Jacob, let’s make every day a holiday.

Strengthening Communities for 179 Years

Posted on by Katie Anderson

This month, we think back on our beginnings as an international organization – On June 6th, 1844, the YMCA was founded by George Williams and 11 other young men, who held a meeting in London that would lead to the founding of the YMCA. For 179 years, the Y has worked to strengthen communities –creating the first group swim classes, spearheading the first English as a Second Language (ESL) class and addressing chronic disease through programs like the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program.

You might enjoy watching a brief, three-part video series on our history. These videos were produced a couple years ago by Dr. David Newman, a pastor of a church that meets in a Y in Ohio and who loves the YMCA and its history.

The Reason Why Part 1
https://youtu.be/Ebwt69__pZc

The Reason Why Part 2
https://youtu.be/_nqVZk40AfA

The Reason Why Part 3
https://youtu.be/nJO-t9oOYOE 

Because He’s God

Posted on by Katie Anderson

Written by Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

A Spiritual Reflection

If you are a reader, you understand how sometimes a word, or a sentence can simply jump off the page, as if you have never read it before. And when that happens with Scripture (a rather common occurrence for me), I usually learn a new principle of the Christian life, gain a deeper understanding of Jesus, or discover a truth that I’ve never considered before.

Let me give you an example. There are many interpretations of who Jesus was when He walked on the earth. Some would say He was the perfect picture of God’s grace. Some might point to his compassion as his defining characteristic. While others would say Jesus was a man who loved all. These are all true, but there are many pictures painted in Scripture of just who this Jesus was and is. While this article is not meant to dive into all the details of who Jesus’ character, let me share one of the instances in his ministry that jumped off the page for me this morning.

In Mark’s gospel there is a story recorded of one of the many times the religious leaders of the day were seeking to find guilt in Jesus, to accuse him of breaking one of the many laws that were established by the Jews, his own people. It was the Sabbath and a man came to Jesus with a need for healing. For the Jews, it was unlawful to do anything on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Jesus asked the leaders, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Mark goes on to say that Jesus, “looked around at them in anger,” and was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:1-6).

What jumped off the page as I read that account this morning is Jesus’ anger. How can Jesus, full of grace, love, and compassion be angry? How can he be so upset at these people and still love them? He can because He’s God. No way am I able to express both love and anger in the same breath because I’m not capable in my finite mind and heart. Those emotions just don’t seem to go together. And you probably struggle with it too. And here’s another reality of that account. More times than I care to mention, I am like those leaders and Jesus looks at me and is “deeply distressed at (my) stubborn heart.” Can you relate? If you are honest, you probably can.

When Jesus looks at his creation, I think he experiences quite a few emotions; love, compassion, care, grace, mercy, long-suffering, and so much more of those feel-good ways our culture interprets who he is. But let’s not forget that he also feels anger and distress when he sees us pursuing our own ways, straying from his perfect plan, or celebrating anything contrary to his ways. And even in that anger, because he is God, he loves. It’s just who he is. How will you respond to his love for you today? Maybe we all should do so with a change of heart.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” -Colossians 3:1