My last post spoke to how amazing my meetings were yesterday...well I had one more! 5 guys...sitting in a circle...pouring over the scriptures...our plan was to talk about ALL of Colossians 2 in an hour or less...instead we made it through 5 verses in 1 hr. 15 minutes! The conversation...the prayers...we are REALLY seeking how God wants us to live...REALLY seeking God...it was deep...moving...powerful to talk with these guys about the Word of God! I am soooooo blessed to be involved with a group...with a church that longs to study the Word like this...that has a hunger for Jesus like these guys do!
GUYS...GREAT living life with you...praying for you! PRAY and then OBEY!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Day of meetings...REALLY REALLY good ones!
My day has been FULL of meetings! Taught classes this a.m. at school...had a meeting about a student in the middle of that...then the staff came over from Goshen and we talked. Oh...it was good to talk...CRAZY jumping into that convo exactly 20 minutes after I left school...BUT I'LL TELL YOU THIS...some good stuff was talked about. Some intense stuff...I have been praying for some time for God to show us what HE wants His church to look like...what HE wants us to be doing. At one point in the meeting Jim asked me..."what do you think needs to happen time..." In that moment I really considered spewing out a bunch of thoughts and ideas...and they would have CLEARLY been worthless...instead I simply said..."I don't know." And I didn't...in fact it has been quite frustrating for me lately...I usually know where I'm going! Since December of 2003 when I prayed and asked God to give us a pinhole of what he wanted us to do as a church...and when the words "church planting" were that pinhole...I KNEW where I was going and little by little God made that pinhole bigger and bigger...God continued to open that door it became clearer and clearer what his direction was...when detours happened he made it clear which path to take...Then 2010 happened! That direction has been SHUT OFF for me for quite some time...There are seasons in our lives and this has been my longest season of winter EVER! I am soooooooo ready for spring to come in my life! I feel that I have been in the winter for TOO STINKIN' LONG! So I have been asking God for a new pinhole...a new direction...his direction...I have been praying for a greater passion for God...the lost...and HIS church!
GUESS WHAT?!?! When you pray a prayer like that...GOD RESPONDS!!!!
A hunger has started in my gut...a new and fresh hunger for his Word...THEN our staff meeting happened this morning...THEN...I met with Colin and Ben...I'm about to come out of my skin this afternoon!! Just an anticipation of what God has been doing behind the scenes that he is starting to show me! All I need is a pinhole...that's it...just a beginning of a picture and I will charge that mountain! And I believe that God is starting to reveal that...he is beginning to reveal that pinhole...and ONCE AGAIN he is using HIS Word AND HIS people to direct me and HIS Church!
GUESS WHAT?!?! When you pray a prayer like that...GOD RESPONDS!!!!
A hunger has started in my gut...a new and fresh hunger for his Word...THEN our staff meeting happened this morning...THEN...I met with Colin and Ben...I'm about to come out of my skin this afternoon!! Just an anticipation of what God has been doing behind the scenes that he is starting to show me! All I need is a pinhole...that's it...just a beginning of a picture and I will charge that mountain! And I believe that God is starting to reveal that...he is beginning to reveal that pinhole...and ONCE AGAIN he is using HIS Word AND HIS people to direct me and HIS Church!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Hog Roast
FUN afternoon at the Hog Roast! Fun to have my parents there too! And yes...it was fun even though I lost for only the 2nd time this year at Corn Hole...AND lost for the 1ST TIME EVER at Grace Community...Dave Williams & Jerimae Yoder took Will Dettman and me apart...it hurt!
Dave and Sue Griffith shared along with their co-workers Michel & Dominique...AWESOME to hear their hearts...they have seen MANY come to Jesus in the past year...I had tears in my eyes as they shared about the number of souls saved and people baptized! PRAISE GOD! YEARS AND YEARS of planting seeds and they were able to see the harvest. I am so excited for what God is doing through them in France!!
Rusty and Kari did another fantastic job hosting this...probably over 200 people there...so much fun!! THANKS SOOOOOOOO MUCH for a fun day Tuttle's!!
Dave and Sue Griffith shared along with their co-workers Michel & Dominique...AWESOME to hear their hearts...they have seen MANY come to Jesus in the past year...I had tears in my eyes as they shared about the number of souls saved and people baptized! PRAISE GOD! YEARS AND YEARS of planting seeds and they were able to see the harvest. I am so excited for what God is doing through them in France!!
Rusty and Kari did another fantastic job hosting this...probably over 200 people there...so much fun!! THANKS SOOOOOOOO MUCH for a fun day Tuttle's!!
Reflections
HUGE weekend! Sunday morning was simply AMAZING! Our time of reflection at the beginning of the service was like hitting a "reset" button for all of us...and it was a perfect fit into the message which was on Unswayable Courage...I got to speak this week...I enjoy it...Spoke about the fact that since we are made in God's image (Gen. 1!) then wouldn't he want to be pursued in many of the same ways that we should pursue our spouse. Think about it...Gary Chapman wrote A LOT about the 5 Love Languages...that each of us wants to be pursued through our love language...and that at times we want to be pursued by each of the love languages...So this week...we turned it to God...how can we pursue him and show him love? Through...
1. Words of Affirmation
2. Giving Gifts
3. Touch
4. Acts of Service (just read Matthew 25!!!!)
5. Quality Time
Touch was a tough one at first...then I studied Matthew 25 a little more and it hit me..."whenever you do these to the least of these brothers of mine..." OH MAN! When our church hugs on Soccer Camp kids...when we share life with people at Community Hope (Community Hope is a monthly morning when we pass out food vouchers to struggling families) When we touch these people...hold their hand in prayer...give a hug...IT IS LIKE HUGGING GOD! IMAGINE THAT!!!!
Quality Time also really grabbed me this week...how much do we REALLY dig into the Word of God? Are we in love with our love letter from God to us...his VERY OWN WORDS!!! Are we?
Closing Challenge...
-PRAY for a hunger for God
-MAKE time...schedule the time to spend time with God
-DO IT!
Sounds simple...the question is...did you do it today? Did you carve out time for our Savior...to spend time with him? GO DO IT!
1. Words of Affirmation
2. Giving Gifts
3. Touch
4. Acts of Service (just read Matthew 25!!!!)
5. Quality Time
Touch was a tough one at first...then I studied Matthew 25 a little more and it hit me..."whenever you do these to the least of these brothers of mine..." OH MAN! When our church hugs on Soccer Camp kids...when we share life with people at Community Hope (Community Hope is a monthly morning when we pass out food vouchers to struggling families) When we touch these people...hold their hand in prayer...give a hug...IT IS LIKE HUGGING GOD! IMAGINE THAT!!!!
Quality Time also really grabbed me this week...how much do we REALLY dig into the Word of God? Are we in love with our love letter from God to us...his VERY OWN WORDS!!! Are we?
Closing Challenge...
-PRAY for a hunger for God
-MAKE time...schedule the time to spend time with God
-DO IT!
Sounds simple...the question is...did you do it today? Did you carve out time for our Savior...to spend time with him? GO DO IT!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Things I miss...
OK...this is a random post, but it is stuff that popped in my head...and they are DEFINITELY not all connected...very random!!
Things I miss:
-Old friends...both from High School...college and beyond...people that have meant a lot to me, but I don't see or talk to much
-Coaching Middle School soccer...not the schedule...but I miss the kids and the competition...it was like a "release" or hobby for me...just not enough time!
-Family...with working most weekends it is hard to get back home!
-Ice Cream...I have hardly eaten ANY ice cream in the past 7 months
-Iced Coffee...ESPECIALLY Panera's I.C. Mocha...ON MAN!!
-Playing basketball...just don't get to do it much anymore...
-Manchester High School football games...ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Go Panthers!! (that's my high school team...the team basically never loses...Nothing like Panther football on a fall night...with the band of course!!)
-Grandma and Grandpa Messner and Uncle Bob
-A healthy wife! I keep telling her that this will pass...but I know that it is such a struggle for her to not feel well!!
-Cloth diapers...oh wait...no I don't! BUT I'm going to have them again tooooooo soon!
-A baby's little smile...
-My kids funny words they said when they were REALLY small
-Prime Rib
-Eating LOTS of hamburger!
I have absolutely NO IDEA why this stuff jumped in my head...and no...I'm not depressed! I'm having a TOTALLY AWESOME and PRODUCTIVE day!!!! Just random things that jump into the mind of Tim Boucher!
Things I miss:
-Old friends...both from High School...college and beyond...people that have meant a lot to me, but I don't see or talk to much
-Coaching Middle School soccer...not the schedule...but I miss the kids and the competition...it was like a "release" or hobby for me...just not enough time!
-Family...with working most weekends it is hard to get back home!
-Ice Cream...I have hardly eaten ANY ice cream in the past 7 months
-Iced Coffee...ESPECIALLY Panera's I.C. Mocha...ON MAN!!
-Playing basketball...just don't get to do it much anymore...
-Manchester High School football games...ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Go Panthers!! (that's my high school team...the team basically never loses...Nothing like Panther football on a fall night...with the band of course!!)
-Grandma and Grandpa Messner and Uncle Bob
-A healthy wife! I keep telling her that this will pass...but I know that it is such a struggle for her to not feel well!!
-Cloth diapers...oh wait...no I don't! BUT I'm going to have them again tooooooo soon!
-A baby's little smile...
-My kids funny words they said when they were REALLY small
-Prime Rib
-Eating LOTS of hamburger!
I have absolutely NO IDEA why this stuff jumped in my head...and no...I'm not depressed! I'm having a TOTALLY AWESOME and PRODUCTIVE day!!!! Just random things that jump into the mind of Tim Boucher!
Parents...Preaching...Hog Roast...Griffiths
My parents are driving over from Ohio today...looking forward to seeing them...we don't see each other a lot and it will be fun to have them here to watch Jaden and Luke's soccer games tomorrow...good stuff!
Sunday I'm preaching on Unswayable Pursuit...CANNOT WAIT! God has really been stirring up in me and it will be good to share that on Sunday...after the service we head to the Tuttle's for a Hog Roast...that is ALWAYS a lot of fun...good time hanging out...a couple of churches come together and some of their other friends and family...GREAT TIME! Dave and Sue Griffith will be here for that too...their missionaries to France that we support...they have one of their leaders here too...they have seen A LOT of people giving their lives to Jesus in the past year...it has been VERY COOL to see what God is doing in and through them!
Sunday I'm preaching on Unswayable Pursuit...CANNOT WAIT! God has really been stirring up in me and it will be good to share that on Sunday...after the service we head to the Tuttle's for a Hog Roast...that is ALWAYS a lot of fun...good time hanging out...a couple of churches come together and some of their other friends and family...GREAT TIME! Dave and Sue Griffith will be here for that too...their missionaries to France that we support...they have one of their leaders here too...they have seen A LOT of people giving their lives to Jesus in the past year...it has been VERY COOL to see what God is doing in and through them!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Bonus Stuff
Got another thing...There are two questions that are haunting me right now...(actually there are a few more, but I'll stick with 2!)...
1. Is HIS Word enough?
No really...is it? Is God's Word enough for me or do I think that I need something else? Do I have a hunger for his Word...a hunger that pushes me every week...every day to seek out the truth of God and how that will impact the way I live...Is THE WORD enough...I'll tell you...this has been CONVICTING over the past couple of days!
2. How will I be known?
Studying Colossians...Paul writes in chapter 1 how "he has heard..." about the church there...how he has heard of their great faith...I wonder...what are people hearing about Tim Boucher...if a friend from the past runs into someone who is with me consistently today...what would they say to each other? I pray that my friends will be able to write me as Paul did..."Tim...GREAT to hear you are still faithful to the call of God! To your Savior!" I pray that for you too! How will we...better yet...how are we known?
1. Is HIS Word enough?
No really...is it? Is God's Word enough for me or do I think that I need something else? Do I have a hunger for his Word...a hunger that pushes me every week...every day to seek out the truth of God and how that will impact the way I live...Is THE WORD enough...I'll tell you...this has been CONVICTING over the past couple of days!
2. How will I be known?
Studying Colossians...Paul writes in chapter 1 how "he has heard..." about the church there...how he has heard of their great faith...I wonder...what are people hearing about Tim Boucher...if a friend from the past runs into someone who is with me consistently today...what would they say to each other? I pray that my friends will be able to write me as Paul did..."Tim...GREAT to hear you are still faithful to the call of God! To your Savior!" I pray that for you too! How will we...better yet...how are we known?
Stuff
Random and not so random stuff floating in my head...
-September is over 1/2 GONE...CRAZY!
-That means...Wild @ Heart is coming soon...CAN'T WAIT!
-Also means Kalahari is coming soon...CAN'T WAIT!
-Cried as I prayed through our building today...a fresh sense of longing for God to move...pretty cool
-SPEAKING OF COOL...our men's group is ROCKIN' COOL! We studied and studied the Word last night...BEST conversation on the Word that I have had in a long time...AMAZING...POWERFUL! Very cool!
-Great group of guys coming on Tuesday nights...if you are free on Tuesdays and you're a guy...COME ON OUT!
-BTW...Rob and I remain UNDEFEATED in Corn Hole...just FYI! (Playing for fun of course!)
-It is so great to see men praying for each other...the guys really shared STUFF that is happening in them...MAN IT WAS GOOD!
-My band class has A LOT of work to do! I still have 1/2 of the class without instruments...I told them that if they bring ANY $ in I would let them use an instrument...STILL 1/2 have not done ANY!
-I love watching students learning instruments for the first time...
-My choir is performing a song THEY PICK this week...they picked the song...found the accompaniment...PRODUCED the song...dress for the song...created dances...props...fun to watch them
-Had to apologize to my choir for being impatient yesterday with them...told them that it is important that adults admit when they are wrong too! Hope that grab on to the lesson!
-I CANNOT WAIT TO PREACH ON SUNDAY...CANNOT WAIT...CANNOT WAIT! I am soooooooo ready and it is just Wednesday! God is doing some stirring in my heart!
-Had people step up to serve...looking forward to seeing them thrive!
-We prayed for Mike Nyhius as he took a worship pastor position in Bremen. Cool to see one of our own going into full-time ministry!
-Spent my run this morning thanking God...saying thank you to my Savior...it feels so good to do that!
-September is over 1/2 GONE...CRAZY!
-That means...Wild @ Heart is coming soon...CAN'T WAIT!
-Also means Kalahari is coming soon...CAN'T WAIT!
-Cried as I prayed through our building today...a fresh sense of longing for God to move...pretty cool
-SPEAKING OF COOL...our men's group is ROCKIN' COOL! We studied and studied the Word last night...BEST conversation on the Word that I have had in a long time...AMAZING...POWERFUL! Very cool!
-Great group of guys coming on Tuesday nights...if you are free on Tuesdays and you're a guy...COME ON OUT!
-BTW...Rob and I remain UNDEFEATED in Corn Hole...just FYI! (Playing for fun of course!)
-It is so great to see men praying for each other...the guys really shared STUFF that is happening in them...MAN IT WAS GOOD!
-My band class has A LOT of work to do! I still have 1/2 of the class without instruments...I told them that if they bring ANY $ in I would let them use an instrument...STILL 1/2 have not done ANY!
-I love watching students learning instruments for the first time...
-My choir is performing a song THEY PICK this week...they picked the song...found the accompaniment...PRODUCED the song...dress for the song...created dances...props...fun to watch them
-Had to apologize to my choir for being impatient yesterday with them...told them that it is important that adults admit when they are wrong too! Hope that grab on to the lesson!
-I CANNOT WAIT TO PREACH ON SUNDAY...CANNOT WAIT...CANNOT WAIT! I am soooooooo ready and it is just Wednesday! God is doing some stirring in my heart!
-Had people step up to serve...looking forward to seeing them thrive!
-We prayed for Mike Nyhius as he took a worship pastor position in Bremen. Cool to see one of our own going into full-time ministry!
-Spent my run this morning thanking God...saying thank you to my Savior...it feels so good to do that!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Reflections
Great weekend...except for a few hours Saturday night and Sunday morning! I had a 12 hour "something" that really rocked me. I made it to service on Sunday, but felt HORRIBLE...hands shaking...just not fun. Saturday evening was about the same...not sure what the deal was!
BUT...by Sunday late afternoon I felt much better and was able to play HARD with the kids...made it a GREAT way to finish off the weekend.
A few thoughts from the weekend...
-GREAT service...Colin and Jerimae led...VERY GOOD!
-Unswayable Loyalty...POWERFUL POWERFUL POWERFUL!
-Nothing like standing on the other side of obedience
-People who are loyal stand up and stand out
-Loyalty will cost you something
-What would happen if we only had an audience of one? And the one was GOD! How would that change how we lived and make decisions?
-One day...one day...God will look at us and say "well done." THAT should be enough for us to stay loyal to him!!
-GREAT message!
-Direction meeting after the service...had several step up and jump into ministry...very cool to see!
-McKinley School invited US to come to an event they are having...how cool is that!!
-They also are giving us the freedom to come and volunteer at the school...STEP UP!!
-The principal at the school is AMAZING and works hard to develop the community and her school. VERY proactive lady! WE are BLESSED to have her in the school system!!
BUT...by Sunday late afternoon I felt much better and was able to play HARD with the kids...made it a GREAT way to finish off the weekend.
A few thoughts from the weekend...
-GREAT service...Colin and Jerimae led...VERY GOOD!
-Unswayable Loyalty...POWERFUL POWERFUL POWERFUL!
-Nothing like standing on the other side of obedience
-People who are loyal stand up and stand out
-Loyalty will cost you something
-What would happen if we only had an audience of one? And the one was GOD! How would that change how we lived and make decisions?
-One day...one day...God will look at us and say "well done." THAT should be enough for us to stay loyal to him!!
-GREAT message!
-Direction meeting after the service...had several step up and jump into ministry...very cool to see!
-McKinley School invited US to come to an event they are having...how cool is that!!
-They also are giving us the freedom to come and volunteer at the school...STEP UP!!
-The principal at the school is AMAZING and works hard to develop the community and her school. VERY proactive lady! WE are BLESSED to have her in the school system!!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Family
I have been told countless times by parents with grown children..."Enjoy them now...they will grow up before you know it!" I sure try to keep this in mind. Today, Luke jumped on his bike and rode while I ran...I don't know if you have ever tried to exercise with a 4 year old on a bike, but it is not consistent running! BUT it sure was fun...we talked...we watched the tree trimmer truck...we looked for acorns...AND still he rode for 2.4 miles...the time was priceless...I LOVE spending time with my kids...I LOVE listening to them...I am working hard to slow myself down enough at home to be there even more for them.
Oh...one more thing...I LOVE the name "dad!" Just LOVE IT! When my kids say "dad..." it just LIGHTS ME UP! I have been blessed with 3 AMAZING children...I CANNOT WAIT to meet #4!!
Oh...one more thing...I LOVE the name "dad!" Just LOVE IT! When my kids say "dad..." it just LIGHTS ME UP! I have been blessed with 3 AMAZING children...I CANNOT WAIT to meet #4!!
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