Reflections

God is good. Real good.

This past week has been unbelievable! One of those weeks where God shows up in so many ways in so many people's lives. Just incredible! A man gave his life to Jesus...a couple is working through some serious stuff in their relationship, BUT THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH IT! Men were used to encourage and help a man walk through some junk in his life. Spiritual battles were fought and the victory belongs to the LORD! Fears were faced and overcome...sin was TURNED ASIDE...people are back at work...MEN ARE LEADING THEIR FAMILIES! Great victories for the Kingdom of God! I feel blessed to walk alongside of the men and women...teens...boys and girls of this church as we figure out how to best live our life for our Savior and each other!

Relentlessly pursuing God's heart! Starts with the work of prayer...Pursuing God's heart is exhausting and exhilarating !! Jump in!

Recruiting

As a band/orchestra teacher I have been going out this week and recruiting 4th graders for next year. It has really been a good time...the high school teachers have brought some of their students...many of which are my former students. It was REALLY GOOD to catch up and see what is happening...I haven't seen some of them in 4-5 years!

I love watching the 4th graders faces when they play the instruments for the first time...they are sooooo cute and excited! Some of them have NEVER played an instrument like this and many never will again...One of the things this always brings out in me is to remember that excitement...to remember how EXCITED I was when I first started playing...music can feel like work too often...but bringing the passion back...that excitement...that's my hope as a teacher...that I won't just teach them notes but give them an enthusiasm and passion for music. It is fun when it happens!!

Posted that and then THIS...

So...I post "relentlessly pursuing God's heart" and then yesterday happens! I cannot even come close to sharing what the experience was like at our men's group last night...God has allowed me to witness people giving their lives to him in large groups...in large numbers...1 on 1...last year at Wild @ Heart a man gave his life to Jesus with 70 guys listening in on it. Last night was unique...every man shared their heart...and because they did, God used it to bring a man from darkness to light. POWERFUL! EVERY GUY shared as the Spirit led him. IT WAS AWESOME to see God break down barriers...all kinds of barriers...God is soooo good.

It is so good to see God working through men...seeing men stepping up in sharing their faith...

The angels celebrated last night and SO DID WE! A new name was written in the Book of Life and I had the privilege to be there...Tuesday nights just keep getting better and better and better!

Relentlessly pursuing God's heart

The phrase "relentlessly pursuing God's heart" just wouldn't go away during our elder retreat over the weekend. That we would be known as a church that is relentlessly pursuing God...take a moment and picture what that looks like...imagine a group of people that are seeking God in that way...picture it. Dream about it...GO LIVE IT!!

I long for this in my own life and in our church...we are not perfect people...but when we give our lives to Jesus a hunger forms in our gut...a hunger to know God more...a hunger to share what he has done for us with other people...a deep desire to do whatever he asks...This can happen here...right here at Grace Community Church...of course that is a choice that each person must make, but we can do it!

So what does that look like in your personal life? What does it look like for us as a church? I look forward to seeking out AND LIVING that answer with you!

Reflection

Great weekend...Great time with God...great time planning and dreaming with our team...OUTSTANDING service on Sunday!

Some Highlights...

-Dinner at the Boathouse in Warsaw Friday with our leadership team...GREAT food!
-Strange to think that my college dorm used to sit right where that restaurant is now!
-UNBELIEVABLE worship and time in the Word Friday night...The Spirit moved. I can't describe the time with words...
-Game night...well...it was Fun...REALLY FUN! LOTS AND LOTS of laughter!!
-11:30 p.m. + -2 degrees + Hot Tub = AWESOME!
-Colin and I braved the weather and hung out OUTSIDE talking and relaxing in the hot tub...ice crystals were forming in our hair...It was fun!
-Saturday's retreat...GREAT and challenging conversation...I am soooo grateful for the team that God has given me and this church. GREAT group of men and their wives!
-Sunday morning...WHOA! Worship was THROUGH THE ROOF GOOD! Jim's message...RIGHT ON!
-THEN...people just hung around...almost an HOUR after the service people were still there talking

The weekend was just good. Real good. Having time to listen to the voice of God and to watch God speak through people...THAT is good!

Retreat!

Tonight is our first SB Campus Elder retreat...I LOVE planning these things...LOVE watching God work in people individually and together...AND I LOVE what God does through these times together of learning, dreaming and planning. We just instituted elders at our church so we are branching off from our Goshen elder retreat...YES we are still 1 church in 2 locations...This is our chance to dream and talk through what God wants to do through this campus...The cool part is...about 1/2 hour away the Goshen gang will be doing the same thing!! God is going to move this weekend!

I cannot wait to see what God does as he continues to bring our group together. Looking forward to a GREAT weekend with the elders and their wives!

ALRIGHT...back to finishing up the plans!!

Read it!

Here is a post that Pastor Jim has on his blog today...READ IT!

thebrownbytes.blogspot.com/2011/01/listen-to-right-voice.html

Walk a mile...

My heart aches for people...everyone has their own unique story. Their own journey...we can so often be quick to assume things about people...but what if we had the chance to walk a mile in their shoes...how would that change our perceptions? Oh how it would!

This school year I have had a student who has been a struggle in one of my classes...defiant...just tough to work with! Just a few weeks ago I got just a glimpse into her life...into what she has gone through...it really opened my eyes on how to approach her and work with her...my heart broke for her and what she has experienced in her journey...

Another story...I had lunch with a friend a while back...we hadn't talked in a long time...I could tell something was bothering him...we talked about some stuff...some tough stuff, BUT he didn't get to the deep truth of what was happening...he hid it...I had NO IDEA what was really happening...just where he really was...his world was crashing in on him, but he didn't share it with me or anyone else...didn't share it until it was too late...MAN...if he only would have talked...would have let us walk the mile with him...

2 lessons here...ONE...Open yourself up to other people...when you are hurting LET THEM IN! DON'T HIDE! Let other people you trust walk with you...

2nd...Stop! Stop assuming you know what and why someone is acting a certain way...STOP TODAY and look around...no REALLY look around...SEE people today...and remember that God made them...he loves them...allow that to break your heart...to drive you to pray...pray HARD for people...both for what you know and what you don't!

Check out this blog

A good friend of mine and the children's pastor at our Goshen Campus Jon Rauch started a blog...IT'S ABOUT TIME! It is worth you time to check it out...here is the link:

www.becausejesusloveskids.blogspot.com

There is no Plan B

Whoa...I was watching the Biggest Loser last night...something really grabbed me...one of the people was really struggling...and instead of hitting his issues head-on he was planning his escape plan...his Plan B was already in place. Now it isn't bad to plan...but when your planning of escape in a situation causes you NOT to give your ALL...THAT is a problem.

How often do we do this? In relationships..."if we stop dating, we can still be friends." REALLY! You are already planning to break up and not make it! GUESS WHAT?! You'll probably get what you are aiming at! Argh!

We do this with our dreams...with jobs...relationships...church...we create escape clauses...then we give the "guess it's good I had a Plan B."

WHAT IF...what if we dove into our relationships...if we didn't create an escape plan? What if we did the same with our children...friends...church...work? What if we went after our dreams with EVERYTHING we have...with no plan B...with no escape clause...

Scare you? Sure, but don't let it paralyze you! GET UP AND CHASE DOWN YOUR DREAMS! STAY WITH YOUR WIFE OR HUSBAND! PURSUE...PURSUE...PURSUE!

The last 10 days...

This has been my longest lay-off from blogging ever! It sure has been a while...my mom is probably wondering if I'm alive! I AM! And doing quite well!!

The past week has been a whirlwind...so much went on last week! We had our HUGE snow storm...Clarence passed away...he was like a grandfather to me! AMAZING man of God...I had the privilege to perform his funeral...what an honor! What a man...I wish that everyone that knew him could have spent the time I did with his family...story after story after story...and 99% were EXTREMELY funny!! AND to think of his faithfulness...faithful to his God...wife (of 62 years!! If she was still alive they would have celebrated their 71st anniversary this year...71!!)...his family...his dedication to the church. His prayers for me and my family are burned in my memory...I am grateful that I had the chance to know him.

THEN...we kicked off our men's group and our couple's group. The guys are going through Genesis...AMAZING talk on creation...on whether the Bible is true...GREAT stuff! We talked for sooooo long that I wasn't sure if we would get to play Corn Hole...BUT of course we did...got home about 10p.m. that night!!

THEN...Prayer Encounter last week...WOW! We wrestled through some marriage stuff with one of the families...they were frank...honest and willing to hear each other! They encouraged my heart as they wrestled through some things...WELL DONE!

THEN...we prayed at Prayer Encounter for 2 of the men that really need jobs...we have been praying for months about this...BOTH OF THEM received offers later in the week! VERY COOL how God came through and honored them with a job!

THEN...Sunday night...we had 5 couples there and 2 more are coming next week...IT WAS A BLAST! We shared stories of how we met our spouse and then watch the first part of "Laugh your way to a better marriage!" HILARIOUS! GREAT STUFF! We cannot hear these things enough...I have been through this 3x's now...and it hits me fresh every time! Great stuff...we can't EVER stop learning...and we must continue to grow to be better husbands and wives!

THEN...Sunday morning...ok...so this is actually before Sunday night! BUT...Sunday morning was a celebration of 2010...we PRAISED God...we broke up in groups and talked about how God worked in our lives in 2010...very cool. I really liked the groups...think we should do that more! I enjoy getting the whole church involved in learning on Sundays...

GREAT WEEK!

Thanks...

I just finished watching a video that was by church planter's wives...and the truth is...I am so grateful that Kelsey jumped on this journey with me. Without her support and her buying-in to why and what we are doing here...MAN...nothing is impossible, but that would sure be close! I am grateful that she is my teammate in this...sometimes I only wish that I could shield her better from the pain...over the years there have been hurtful things said and done...People don't realize how much a pastor's wife carries...I'm grateful for a very strong and passionate woman...I am so proud of Kelsey for her passion for God and for never giving up on what God has called us to do here. We couldn't be happier being at Grace...There is no person in the world that I would rather spend my life with...no one who I would want to celebrate God's victories in our lives and learn through the struggles...I love you Kelsey Boucher! Thank you for walking this journey with me!

"If Walmart can be open..."

My theory got tested yesterday...I have often said that if Walmart is open during bad weather, then we'll be open! Well...we talked on Saturday night and decided to keep the church open on Sunday...I am really glad we did! We had a GREAT morning...fun morning! And we had lunch together after the service...there was a really fun spirit about the day. GREAT DAY! And we continued our focus on Jesus! WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT?!?!?!

Snow!

The snow just keeps coming today...we have had over 2 FEET of snow since 11 p.m. last night...it is WILD! The kids had fun out there...we have been shoveling and shoveling and shoveling. A very fun day in the snow!

This made my WEEK!

We pray every Wednesday night...every Wednesday...we seek God for people that need Jesus...for people that are struggling...we CELEBRATE what God is doing. The prayer time was GREAT! We are seeking out God...pleading with him to move. Our enemy is ACTIVE and prowling around looking to destroy some people! There were some prayers prayed that I won't soon forget.

After the meeting I was headed for home and a good friend came out...we ended up talking for 40 more minutes...and it was really good! REALLY good! (Of course...I was in my car with the heat BLARING and he was standing in the cold!) Then he said something...that along with a great prayer night just simply MADE MY WEEK! He said something like this..."I would stand shoulder to shoulder with you and ANYONE in this church and battle Satan!" There was FIRE in his eyes when he said it! Anyone who would have talked to him in that moment would KNOW...would KNOW FOR SURE that he was in the battle with them and had their back. He had spent his WHOLE DAY praying...he could sense the spiritual battles happening with people and he was on it!

There is nothing better in the world than living life with people that are on the Mission of Jesus...I cannot express how grateful I am that I get to be here and do what I do.

Don't give up...

We have a sign in our basement...Chloe made it one day during break for when she is running on the treadmill...it says "DON'T GIVE UP! You CAN DO IT!" And she is sooooo right. Not just about running but about life in general. Think about this...when people give up living in community...when they give up staying connected with other believers...they eventually GIVE UP a lot more. They find reasons to stay away...they find that life is swallowing them up...and they don't "feel" like being involved anymore...they feel disconnected. WHY? Because they "gave up" and didn't keep themselves involved.

I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU the importance of living in community with people...living your life close enough to others so they can encourage you, celebrate with you, hurt with you...and in order to do that you must NEVER GIVE UP ON THEM! Because we do stupid and hurtful things sometimes...we do make a mess of our lives and a mess of our relationships. BUT when we choose...WE CHOOSE...DID YOU CATCH THAT...WE CHOOSE to NEVER give up...then we will get through that...and when the storm of life dies down we will be so thankful that we fought our emotions and feelings. That we didn't give up!

Stay the course my friends...you will be so thankful that you did!

Good start

Yesterday morning was an excellent way to start the year. We started our message series "Rebel"...talking about Jesus. Who he was...good and powerful stuff!

Highlights:

-Jesus was a revolutionary...he reached the unreachable
-He was witty!
-Compassion oozed from him!
-He had a way with words...he could TELL STORIES!
-He wasn't impressed with titles and accomplishments
-He reached the struggling people...he didn't want their $, he wanted their lives
-He was spontaneous and mobile
-Jesus was HOMELESS! He did not have a home...he was on the move.
-Are we comfortable with that? That he was homeless? Would we really respect Jesus today if we saw him living on the street? What would our view be of him then?
-He was FEARLESS! He would confront ANYONE...even demons

The final challenge...it is simple but heart piercing...We have been given this gift of salvation through Jesus Christ...who is the last person that we have shared this gift with? Who have we told about Jesus? Does it bother us if we haven't shared?

I am praying for our church...praying that God would break our hearts for people who need Jesus. That we would cry over them...that we would PLEAD with God to move in them...