A good thing

Chloe and Jaden's school had "Muffins for Mom" today. The PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) put it together and did an amazing job. (we had "Doughnuts with Dad" earlier in the year! YUM!) I had the chance to serve this morning and WHAT A BLAST! Seeing all of the moms hanging out with their kids...VERY COOL! AND we gave away over 1,000 doughnuts and muffins. INCREDIBLE! Well done PTO for putting this together and THANK YOU to the school for allowing it...great idea!

Uncharted Prayer...

Some of my notes from Jim's message...this message pierced my heart!

-we must commit to pray to God
-what if we all took more time to pray...to listen more...what would happen?!
-Whey do we talk to God?
-When I approach God I must BELIEVE he can do what I'm asking...(if not...why ask!!!!)
-Jeremiah 33:3 God says: "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
-God has untapped

I INTERRUPT THIS POST TO SAY: YES! YES! YES!

I am sitting here typing this post...in the middle of typing "God has untapped" and my cell phone rings. On the other end of the phone is Dawn...she found out earlier today that her dad and step-mom were going to get a divorce after over 20 years of marriage...we prayed together for a miracle to happen...we prayed in faith...believing that God could do what seemed to be impossible...AND GUESS WHAT?!?!?! She met with them tonight and they are going to get some counseling and work to stay together! No one is moving out...no lawyers...AMAZING! THAT IS GOD! Whoo-hoo! Praise God! I LIKE that kind of answer to prayer...GO GOD! COMPLETE HEALING is on its way!

UNCHARTED PRAYER...IT WORKS SO GO DO IT...

ENOUGH SAID!

I'm bothered

Jim's message from yesterday bothered me...I have not been able to get Jim's message out of my head...tonight as I was sitting here in my chair...thinking...wondering what to read in the Bible...I picked up my Bible and a thought crossed my mind..."Read John 14." That's it..."John 14)

Here is what I believe...I believe that The Spirit of the Living God lives in those who put their belief in him...therefore, I believe the SPIRIT prodded me to read that chapter...so I started reading...

and there it was...

it was a short verse, but it bothered me...just like Jim's message

It rattled me...shook me up...

Jesus said...in verse 14...

"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

You read it right..."you may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it."

Doesn't say might do it...no maybes...

Jesus, the Son of God, said "ask and I'll do it..."

this bothers me...because it means that I must know what Jesus wants...it means that I must get "clean"...get rid of sin...make sure I am seeking his will and not mine...be seeking him so much that what I'm asking for is what he wants...what responsibility! And...

this bothers me...it is reshaping me...something different is happening inside of me...a longing for a greater, deeper faith...for more of what God wants and less of me...ummmmmmm...

God is doing something in our church right now...it is really special to experience it, to be in the middle of it...I want nothing more than what GOD wants for Grace Community Church...I will beg him to show me...more than that...to show US...HIS CHURCH what that is and WE will join him...

GREAT problem to SOLVE

We had a GREAT morning yesterday! Passionate worship...great time hanging out...OUTSTANDING! We do have a problem though...one that we knew was coming, but we are going to HAVE TO do something about it! One of our challenges is sound in our new building. Everything is close together and last week (our first Sunday) the music and my mic were so loud that it really disrupted the kids...this week the adults could really hear the kids upstairs...

HERE IS THE DEAL THOUGH! I LIKE THIS CHALLENGE!

1st Children are the church of TODAY...not just tomorrow...TODAY! If they come to Jesus at a young age...THEY ARE THE CHURCH! Jesus didn't say...let the children come to me when their 18...he said: "let the children come to me." SO...BRING THEM ON...let's reach them with the love of Jesus NOW so they walk with him for their whole lives!! we have kids FILLING UP the Kidzone room...a month ago we were just dreaming about that! NOW we're in!!

2nd We have kids FILLING UP the Kidzone room...a month ago we were just dreaming about that! NOW we're in!! What if my struggle was that we didn't have any kids? If we were a dieing church with no young life...I'll take this problem!

3rd SUNDAY MORNING IS NOT ABOUT CHILDCARE! Sunday morning is about the CHURCH worhsipping God...about allowing people who don't know Jesus to see how much we love him, so THEY will want what we have! That is ADULTS AND CHILDREN.

4th I LOVE KIDS! I love how they pray...how they play...how they take risks because they don't know any better!

5th With Nursery, Pre-school, elementary age, middle school and high school about 50% of our church is 18 years old or younger! AND OH DOES THAT EXCITE ME!

6th Children are the church of TODAY...not tomorrow...TODAY!! (Did I mention that already!!)

So this "noise" is a good problem to SOLVE...why? Because there is LIFE happening...and where life is happening there are things to work through...AND I'm glad I have a team of people to work through this with me!!

Great morning

The service was amazing...Uncharted Prayer was the message...VERY POWERFUL! I'll share more on that in the next couple of days...our worship time has just been electric the past 2 weeks...just LOVE IT! The band is leading us well AND people are RESPONDING! VERY COOL!

We had our first "We don't have to leave!" party after the service...we moved all the chairs...set up tables...and people brought food...LOTS of food! We have been portable church for about 3 years and it was good to just hang out after the service. AND to do that for 3 HOURS!!!! DID YOU CATCH THAT?!?! 3 HOURS! I got home today 3 1/3 hours after the SERVICE was over! Did I mention how AMAZING the food was?! I think we need to have another one soon!!!!

Class

I started my first on-line class ever last week! I must complete 2 classes by the fall to renew my teaching license. I had let it expire when I stopped teaching 3 years ago. Week 1 is complete...it started on the 9th...yeah, you got it...it started in the middle of last week...it was originally good planning because I registered for the classes when I thought we would be in the new building last month! Oh well...last week was definately a whirlwind!!

Class 1 is on teaching special education students (figured that's a smart class to take since my class is all sp.ed. students!)...then the 2nd class is on right & left brain learning...I start that in April, I think...I'm looking forward to that one...it should be useful in the the classroom and preaching!!

GO CAVS!

YES! MY Cleveland Cavs made a GREAT deal to pick up Jamison from the Wizards today...he will no longer be playing against 'Bron! GREAT DEAL DANNY FERRY...now let's just get Z back in 30 days and go on and win the championship! COME ON CAVS! Ferry made the right choice today...lots of talk about bringing in another guy...but it wouldn't have been the right fit...way to do what was best for your team and not take the trade everyone was talking about today...THAT is good leadership! WHOO-HOO!!

Olympics

I love watching the Olympics...I do this to myself every 2 years...stay up late...get up early...I'm just a sucker for the stories behind the athletes...AND I LOVE the competition. Love to see the reactions of the competitors when the win or lose...or simply have a personal best. MAN IS IT FUN! "Thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." (Good old Wide World of Sports!) Those snowboarders were sure fun to watch...and the Chinese couples winning last night in figure skating...AWESOME! What a proud coach to dethrone the Russians after all those years and then coach the Gold and Silver medalists...WOW!

Best part this year has been watching Jaden. He LOVES watching...He was frustrated when he got up this morning that the news was on and the Olympics weren't on. (Got to love only having generic TV!)

GO U.S.A.!!!!

Reflections

The band praying before the service
20 minutes before service...

'Bout time to get started...

I really can't get my mind around this morning yet...been blur...exciting...here are thoughts as they pop in my head...

-"WOW...this morning was AMAZING!!"

-The Spirit of THE LIVING God was moving in that building!

-Worship was the best ever...

-Jerimae's song he wrote...WOW-PERFECT!

-I really enjoyed seeing people who have invested so much in the building WORSHIPPING!

-We left the building at 12:35...the theater would have already opened!

-Fun to watch people serve

-Good to have some Goshen people with us

-The auditorium was ROCKIN'

-One of the best times of Worship...EVER!

-LOTS of energy in the room!

-The preschool room was about to explode with kids! (BRING ON THAT PROBLEM!)

-Kidzone and the auditorium can really hear each other...

-There were people EVERYWHERE!

-I got to shake about everyone's hand as they walked out the door...I love that

-Ended the message by passing out flashlights, because we long to be a lighthouse of hope in this community.

-People were coming up to get the flashlights before I ever told them too!! It was GREAT!

-Message was on Uncharted Initiative...stepping out...not waiting for others to act first...Our community NEEDS us to share hope with them...

-A church with uncharted initiative will be the first to...Be thankful, seek God, Cut off sin, CELEBRATE, NEVER give up, pray OUTRAGEOUS prayers, take risks, and live and tell stories of what GOD has done. (We will tell this mornings story for a long time!)

-I CAN'T WAIT to see what God is going to do through us

-Cool moment for me before I got to the building...I thought through where we have been...the journey...the steps to get to this point...God is so good

-Great to see Pat McGann...the owner of the building...come to the service

-Lots of visitors today...several students from Bethel

-My dad drove over 4 hours this morning to be there!

-Lots of people talking in the halls

-This morning was a dream come true...God was really lifted up...VERY pleased!

WE'RE IN!

YES! PRAISE GOD!! VERY COOL!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!

We're in for Sunday morning! Ready to move forward...the hard work has paid off!!