weekend report

HONESTLY - I don't think anything else could have gone wrong this weekend! I can safely say that now that it's over! Does that mean that God was not there?? No way! Great weekend from the congregations perspective based on their response - horrible weekend from the perspective of key players becoming ill between Saturday's service and Sunday morning! And I stress KEY players.

But guess what? Other team members stepped up and rose to the occasion and we were blessed! God works in mysterious ways and I just witnessed this to be true!

Our Set List:

Deck The Halls - Relient K
Announcements
Adore Him - Kari Jobe
Actors reciting: Luke 2
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus - Tomlin
Emmanuel - Tomlin
God You Reign - (shortened)
Angel We Have Heard on High - Tomlin
Message: Incarnation Pt. 1 Tim Armstrong
Exit Song: Emmanuel

To see what other ministries used in their worship services go to Fred McKinnon's site.

To watch our services on Monday go to www.crossroadswired.com

in regard to trials

No one likes to walk through a dark time, through trouble, through trials. I would always choose comfort - I'm human!

I was reading about Paul today - perhaps the most ironic bio in the Bible. God used the very man that persecuted and scattered believers, to later spread the gospel himself. Reading in Acts I was struck again by the fact it was the religious leaders who were furious with the teaching of salvation.

You always assume it's the bad guys that persecute. Not so, the RELIGIOUS leaders were right in there stirring things up- forbidding the gospel to be taught even at the temples!

You see, they had to do everything within their power to shut the Christians mouths up - because I think they were beginning to believe themselves that this Christ may indeed have been the long awaited Savior. The very savior they taught about themselves! They had made the ultimate mistake of all time - killing their own Messiah.

I wonder how much time we spend trying to cover up the fact that we may have been wrong about something. Why is it so hard, so embarrassing to admit it when we make a mistake?

Tiger

I cannot imagine having my sin publicly splashed all over the TV and talked about by everyone!

One of my friends mentioned today how sad he was for Tiger's wife. How embarrassing and heartbreaking!

Do you think Tiger's sin is any worse than sin you commit?

I thought about that a lot today as I listened to one news report after another discussing Tiger Woods. Obviously some sin has more immediate consequences than others, that is possibly where the concept of big sins vs. little sins came from. It is either sin or not - it all comes in the exact same size.

I dont' know why the world draws such pleasure from catching someone in sin. Perhaps it is because it takes the focus off of our own shortcomings.

Adopt A Child

Our congregation has adopted 600 of the communities' neediest children for Christmas through an event we call Adopt A Child! To watch the joy of everyone bringing in their gifts is amazing! Next week we give them out - cannot wait.

This Radio Flyer is one of my favorite things so far!

I want to thank Darlene Rudrick and her amazing team of volunteers that work for weeks to organize this event! God bless you all!

waves

This sums up our weather, I have waves in my mud puddles! No kidding!

It is so windy that if I took my video camera and shot a close up on the puddles, you would swear you were at a large lake.

Waves actually are connected to many of my favorite memories, I love the ocean or large lakes. My honeymoon was in Key West, one of our favorite extended family vacations was to California, and another time my sister and I drove to Hilton Head to meet my parents. We took a cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary - this is my favorite kind of vacation - cruise...just the word exudes comfort and rest!

Anyway, on a very windy cold day - to see the little waves in my puddles transported me for a brief moment back to some of my favorite memories. Back to warm waves!

what I learned today

I learned from my facebook friends that it was perfectly acceptable to eat bacon with my fingers...if you ever want to know anything just ask on Facebook! (remember I live in Central Ohio - blue collar to the max!) Anyway, that's not really all I learned today...
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Seriously now...I learned no matter how organized I am, no matter how hard I work, no matter how good my intentions are - my plans are pointless without covering my day in prayer and time with the Lord first. As is the case many days, I blasted off from home with arms full and plans swirling in my head. As I sat down to being to work, I realized I had not adequately prepared. God had not been invited in to my day.

Back up...now I will begin again WITH Him.

4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. I John 2: 4 - 6

How many days have passed when my own agenda was ALL I thought of all day long? NOT TODAY get thee behind me busyness (satan)!

Prayer: "Lord, forgive me for living as if this day belongs to me. It is only by your grace that I even draw breath let alone try with feeble attempt to further your kingdom with my work. This is your day - please, let me be pleasing to you Lord!"

praying badly (on my day off)

My daughter has a person in her life at college that is causing her grief in a work setting. She was recently sharing some of the harassing this person has been doing and I could feel the hairs on the back of my motherly neck beginning to stand up.

You just don’t mess with my kids or friends.

My usual serene exterior quickly deteriorated into what some of my family not-so-lovingly refers to as a “mama-lion”.

I become quit defensive for my loved ones (understatement).

With the shock that anyone would be less than kind to my daughter weighing heavy on me, I took it to the Lord. My intentions were noble – my flesh was weak.

After two or three lines of asking for God’s help, my mind drifted off into the possibility of taking matters into my own hands.

This without a doubt is less than pleasing to the Lord. After a few minutes of thinking through the possibilities of my involvement my focus returned to what I had originally set out to do – pray.

A few lines back into my prayer I once again found myself somehow considering the idea of sending the perpetrator a letter expressing my great disappointment in his behavior. Rehearsing what I might write in great detail in my mind…finally the return of helplessness came back over me and I turned back to the Lord.

I kid you not, 5 minutes back into prayer I returned again to yet another scenario, this time picturing my self confronting them on the college campus. Now, let’s just picture that in our minds for a moment. ME confronting a college student I don’t even know – which would completely undercut my daughter’s authority, and would require that I actually be confrontational (can you say chicken?)

Anyway, by the end of the time which should have been a hallowed time of coming to my Lord asking Him to intercede, I highly doubt He was even listening. I can just picture Him leaning in to hear my prayer 3 times, and finally giving up and turning His focus toward someone else. (I know, bad theology)

Anyway – am I the only one that has trouble remaining focused in prayer?