Monday, November 29, 2010
my day off
Today I went to the church while Greg helped hang the steel stars that the artists created last Christmas at Crossroads. We used them on the stage last year, this year out in our foyer area, the area we loving refer to as 'Town Square'! After decorating the church I headed home to tweak the decorations we hurriedly got out while the kids were home at Thanksgiving.
We have used these same decorations year after year, rarely buying anything new. So all it really took was a few new batteries, some cleaning and we were good to go.
Just as I clean and work on my home this time of year, especially as we draw near to the new year, it's a time of examining areas of my life that have grown stale or bitter or used up. This takes serious thought and prayer and obedience - or it is just a waste of time.
Today as I watched my day off quickly pass away - I turn my thoughts toward the things of the Lord and consider where He wants me to go this year, what He wants me to tweak or get rid of completely.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
weekend report
our setlist:
opening instrumental by Jessica Pounds -such an amazing performance!
announcements by Deering Dyer
More Than Amazing: Brewster
Glorified: we combined an acoustic beginning to rock (Newlife)
Blessed Be Your Name: Redman
Happy Day: Jesus Culture
Message: Joy Pt. 1 - Pastor Tim Armstrong
Ending Worship: Enough - Tomlin
To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com
To see what other ministries used in worship this weekend go to www.theworshipcommunity.com
Friday, November 26, 2010
another holiday come 'n gone
We had a blast the past couple of days, and now it's back home for everyone - or off on new tours - or back to work preparing for Christmas at Crossroads!
Funny how all our lives take us different directions - down different roads but always lead us back home at least for a little while.
Things we did:
ATE
ATE
ATE
took naps on the floor as demonstrated in the picture
ATE
Made hard-tack candy in grandpas garage and
ATE IT
ATE
Loved every minute of the last few days and look forward to new visits in just a few short weeks!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Christmas is here
Christmas came to the Biddle's today.
Decorations were going up at the same time turkey was baking and rolls were rising.
Of Course we continued the tradition we began when the kids were born - giving them one new ornament each year when we decorate the tree. We even had some extras this year.
Our son-in-law Aaron was confused about 'hanging' the stockings that Jocelyn just bought for them instead of wearing them!
With windows of time becoming less and less with our kids we decided to decorate when everyone was here at the same time. So I guess I can relax in my Christmas-ness and prepare to celebrate for the next month beginning tomorrow!
I was wondering when all of you do your decorating?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
what I learned today
Monday, November 22, 2010
my day off
Lots of plans for the day and then - a slight delay, ok, a HUGE delay!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
weekend report
Friday, November 19, 2010
just days left
Thursday, November 18, 2010
night of worship
laughter in the office
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
watching alien
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
my favorite people
I think I am going to start a weekly posting of 4 of my favorite people! Sometimes family, sometimes friends and sometimes people I consider heroic in their everyday lives! FUN!!
my mission
Sunday, November 14, 2010
weekend report
Busy weekend is how I will describe this weekend for sure! The picture is my view from the sound booth looking back at 2 of our 4 cameras and Steve Browning our Tech Coordinator.
We are hosting a seminar Saturday through Tuesday that teaches us how to use the Bible software, Logos - which is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. We then went right into our Saturday night services which were great. And then - we kicked off our Adopt A Child Christmas project with a great beginning, adopting out a record number of kids on the first weekend of our project!
We set up a photo booth and invited our Veterans to get their pictures taken for the past two weekends. We then used the photos to create a pre-service countdown and ran the balance of the pictures combined with the old service pictures during our opening patriotic special music.
Our praise team was outstanding to set up our Pastor's amazing teaching on divorce!
Our setlist:
Patriotic opening Special with video/pictures
Announcements on Video: We used a couple in our church who are currently serving in the military to do announcements
Worship: Revelation Song
Worship: Holy Is The Lord
Praise: Everybody Praise the Lord
Interview with Logos trainer
Message: Rethink Marriage pt.3
Exit Song: Our God - Tomlin
To watch our services on Monday, go to www.crossroadswired.com.
To see what other ministries used in their worship services this weekend to to www.theworshipcommunity.com
Saturday, November 13, 2010
logos learning
I cannot wait to use it right away as I finalize our Christmas Series next week! It helps you to study the Hebrew and Greek meanings of the text instead of the English - which doesn't keep the text in it's original context.
I have asked our pastor's countless times if what I'm writing is theologically correct because I never want to lead people astray with my opinions as opposed to the facts of God's Word! Now I don't have to ask anyone anything else! Well, at least not today!
Friday, November 12, 2010
learning new things
I am sure it's got something to do with my age, but lately I "have a hankering" (quote from Deering Dyer) to learn new things!
Tomorrow I get to take a leadership class instructing how to use the Logos program - which will be a resource that will help me to create my small group studies and make sure my writing and Biblical discussion is accurate! I cannot wait to begin using this program!
The next new thing I am considering is taking an art class of some kind. I have been interested for quite a while in cement work (not large items) more like cement bowls and pots - much more practical to get into than creating pottery on a wheel and firing it - even though that's probably my favorite artistic area.
But if I could do anything I wanted to, regardless of the time involved, it would be to write and publish a book. I probably would have to quit my job to ever make that happen - and that's not gonna happen...so...we'll just have to see. Meanwhile I'm going to see if there are just some local writing courses at the branch or on-line!
So...what are you learning? If money or time wasn't an issue what would you do?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
the decorating pastor
SO...besides being the best teaching pastor in the world, Pastor Tim's hidden talent is decorating. We all think he should star in a new reality show about a Pastor who invades peoples offices and re-decorates everything around him!
If you give any indication that you are interested in changing an office around watch out!
I recently decided since getting a new laptop - to go desk-less and I love it. Tim was there shoving furniture around and making suggestions. I think I finally have it back together and I LOVE it!
He then returned to give his final examination on the scooter followed closely by his counterpart Deering! They finally left and peace returned to all!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
a very important conclusion
It was The Gun Show - our sons band. They are an extremely hard metal Christian band - often misunderstood because of their unorthodox music. But a more determined group I have never known.
As I walked out, the meeting I interrupted was a prayer meeting. This prayer time went on for a very long time and the passion with which they talked to their heavenly Father was almost more than I could take...I of course honored their privacy and passed through the room quickly and drove away.
As I drove my heart was warm and I thanked the Lord for my son. I came to a very important conclusion - these young men will reach a people group for the Lord that I would never have any access to. So I too prayed as I drove away - for their safety - for their faith to continue to grow and for no compromise, ever.
Monday, November 8, 2010
my day off
On one hand if you do not advertise you cannot attract the customer and on the other hand you risk spending money that you may not recover.
Just today I received a really extreme piece of advertising. I sent for some coupons and what I got was a packaged game with pieces that contained different facts about pasta on each one. You are supposed to toss the pieces into the bowl and pick out one at a time. Now I hardly think anyone would be bored enough to sit around and play this little game - but I was completely interested in the work that went into this piece. It had to be assembled by hand then put into the neat little box it arrived in. This kind of assembly had to be very expensive.
Very creative, but worth it? I cannot even tell you what pasta company it came from even after studying it - so I am thinking it might not be a great investment! When it's all said and done it's all up to the product to sustain the advertising.
I would say this went just a tiny bit too far to advertise pasta!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
weekend report
Tough weekend - but I feel God was honored and God was worshiped!
AND Christmas was officially launched today at Crossroads - the pictures show our amazing Go Missions team creating the 800 Adopt-A-Child gift tags that begin to go out next weekend!
This has been such a great opportunity for our congregation. We started partnering with a local established organization in our area that makes sure the identified neediest children in our area receive a bag full of gifts each year. And now just a few short years later we have the privilege of hosting them at Crossroads this year where we will distribute with their volunteers and ours - the entire 800 Adopt-A-Child gifts! So exciting! I LOVE the concept of not trying to dream up our own local mission events when opportunities already exist. This can bring the church alive in your community!
Our setlist:
Opening special -
Announcements: we used our Stewardship Pastor Wendell and his lovely wife Madeline for announcements since we are currently in a Marriage series.
Worship: I Exalt Thee - Jesus Culture
Worship: More Than Enough - Tomlin
Praise: Short portion of Our God - Tomlin
Praise: Free To Run
Message: Re-Think Marriage: Pt. 2 Sex - Pastor Tim Armstrong
Exit song: More Than Enough
You can watch our services on Monday at www.crossroadswired.com
To see what other ministries used in their worship services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com
Saturday, November 6, 2010
when things go wrong
I don't handle it well.
Tonight's service was a struggle from beginning to end. It was a night I felt was well planned - but the elements just didn't flow in a manner that made sense. Too much this too little that.
So following the services we reversed the order of things and worked on what we could to try to prepare well for Sunday. We will know in the morning if our work will take care of the problems that plagued us tonight. Meanwhile I'm praying for the God to be honored!
I don't have trouble admitting when I make wrong decisions or mistakes, but I get very frustrated by them. I forgive others well, but, not myself. Sometimes I wish my work wasn't so public and it didn't affect so many people.
I would love to hear about how each of you handle disappointments and how public your work is for others to see?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
amazing night of worship
I planned to just slam this post with tons of glorious pictures that I so spectacularly took and much to my dismay found out that there was no media card in it!
So you just have to settle for me telling you it was fabulous! And I will post the link so that you can see what you missed by watching it on our website later this week.
For now I MUST sleep - I am completely exhausted and tomorrow we must prepare for the weekend services! God bless!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
insecurity = pride
Have you ever considered feelings of insecurity to be another form of pride?
The more I think about it the more I agree with it.
I sadly have wasted time tied up in feelings of insecurity; scared to move ahead and positive someone else could do it better. This happens when I take my eyes off of Him and look at myself.
God has never called anyone to anything that they are not capable of doing. He wants us to walk confidently in our calling. We should invest time preparing well, but when we have done our best we should walk fully into our calling. Fully into our Father.
If I was totally focused on my Father would I ever have time to feel insecure…never!
Pride = arrogance in our own accomplishments
Insecurity = focus on ourselves and our perceived lack of ability or accomplishment
A believer free of pride and insecurity would attract the curiosity of the lost creating an opportunity to share their faith! So join me in walking with confidence in our heavenly Father and all that a life in Him offers!