praises and prayers

It's crazy how many extremes can come within the same day!

We got a call this morning from a friend saying her husband had a heart attack - immediate prayers began and it appears he is stable and in a few days will have surgery.  We are SO thankful that we didn't lose this dear friend!   I've just remained in a constant state of prayer as I find myself continuously thinking of him!

I just got off the phone with my doctors office asking if I can be at their office in the morning - they had a cancellation!  I almost screamed the word YES into the phone.  My regular appointment wasn't scheduled until early November.  I GET TO DRIVE AGAIN!  It has been 6 months since my seizure and to think I can be released this early to drive is such a blessing!

I may just fill my car with gas and drive until it's empty!   Not really, but, I'm so excited!

This is just a regular day.  ups and downs. praises and prayers. answers and questions.

The song that has been in my head all day long is

"On Christ the solid Rock I stand 
ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND...
all other ground is sinking sand..."

May this day end in praise as we worship God, the Solid Rock, for never changing and being the one constant in our days.

what I learned today

I realized as the day drew to a close that I hadn't invested time in learning anything today.  That didn't make me proud - I will definitely get into the Word before sleeping, but can't claim any real study time.

Nevertheless I learned a few things.

As my hubby and I worked with a young couple preparing for marriage this evening, I was reminded despite being married for 33 years, I still have a lot to learn.  It never ends, and it is a hidden blessing within  serving them that we benefit too.

They dream of what will be and we get to help them honestly look at areas that can cause conflict and problems down the road, all the while remembering we need to apply the same principals to our own lives.  They are ageless lessons.

God brought something else to my attention today,  I learned that I harbor animosity toward someone from my past.  A person I once counted as a close friend who I no longer see but still am very upset with.

Think logically with me for a moment...does that hurt the person I'm not happy with, or me?  They are probably clueless I'm even still bothered by it and further more don't care.  So guess what - once again I am reminded as God brought it to my mind  - it only hurts me and causes me to sin.  It is MY responsibility as a Christ follower to forgive AND to forget.

And so I choose to let it go.

I did learn something today after all!  Now if I can just remember them tomorrow!

weekend report

It was such a great weekend of worship and teaching and fellowship!  Again - I feel extremely blessed to be part of this ministry!

There were people there that came this weekend as a result of getting coffee during the week at the Coffee House!

 I talked to one gentleman that works for Word of Life and travels all over the world and said they were there because of the amazing teaching!  They had originally come to check out the church their youth group aged boys were attending - they never left!

I'm sure there are many more stories about what brought people to Crossroads this weekend, the one thing I know is God allowed all our paths to bring us there and received our worship and opened our hearts to learn more about Him.  And it was good!

Our setlist:

My Love Follows You Where You Go - Alison Krauss

All My Fountains - Passion

Your Grace is Enough - Tomlin

10,000 Reasons - Redman

Amazing Grace - Stevens

Revelation Song - Gateway

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

To see what other services included in their worship serviced go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

my hubby's laugh

This morning we once again served by 'parking' cars at the Prairie Peddler - a local Fall festival.

Several of us on the Go Missions team, spread across a large field showing cars where they should park.  I was quite a distance away from my hubby when I heard his laughter.

I turned to see what he was laughing at and saw him talking and laughing with another group of total strangers.

This man has the ability to turn a stranger into a friend faster then anyone I've ever known.

As I watched him, I gave thanks for him.  Some guys I've known over the years just aren't friendly toward people they don't know, they're too busy to care for others or too into their own interests to spend time helping people.  He enjoys talking to anyone, and I'm very, very thankful for that!

Tonight at Crossroads I heard him laugh with friends.  And I watched him smile when our daughter helped lead worship.

God brought us together to complete one another, to compliment one another and to enjoy one another.

I am a woman greatly blessed and I hope to never take even a laugh for granted!

dream

Our artist group assignment from last month was to sketch, write, draw, or paint about DREAM.

All month I've thought about what I would produce to describe what comes to my mind about dream.

First I ask myself, do I have a dream?

Yes, I dream of a free world.  No slavery, no abuse, no addiction, no hunger, no disease, no hatred.

Then I remember that Christ offers the only true freedom, in HIM we can be free no matter what earthly circumstance we find ourselves in.  This world can never be free, for it is a sinful world.

Yes, I have a dream.  I dream of a confidence like I have never known.  I waste time being unsure. I sometimes feel paralyzed to move forward due to a lack of confidence, afraid I may make a mistake.

Yes, I dream.  I dream that instead of being full of creative ideas I can actually create, like a real artist.

My dreams are scary, exciting, beautiful and inspiring.  Are they of God -  I know if He wants to speak to me that way He certainly could.  I imagine instead that they are mostly of my own making, things I worry about, things of this world that won't matter or even exist a few years from now.

And so this project did make me think - it did make me pray, and I guess that's the most you can ask of any project.

OUR Coffee House

Ever since Crossroads began our strategy has ALWAYS been about providing a place where people could feel comfortable and begin their relationship with Christ and move toward becoming a FULLY Devoted Follower of Christ.

The Coffee House is just one more strategic piece of the puzzle.

I wanted to ask you to consider stopping by this week.

(It is also a fabulous place to schedule meetings!)

Consider this, it is an extension of the church that is available to bring friends outside the regular services.  Have you ever considered that meeting a friend over coffee during the week could be the encouragement they need to make them feel comfortable enough to begin attending?

The Coffee House gets them through the door without any pressure.  Additionally YOU know that the Direct Trade coffees and teas that are served have a HUGE, INTENTIONAL mission behind them.  The products are purchased directly so that these very, very poor Christian brother and sister farmers receive support that literally keeps their families alive.  Well worth a dollar more in cost!  Direct trade also gets our coffee to us faster and fresher then anyone not purchasing directly from farmers.

I am personally asking you to stop by soon and meet the staff that cares so much about you and your friends receiving the highest customer service in town and serves fresher coffee than any other establishment can claim because they purchase a Direct Trade product.

The Coffee House exists to connect lives and to sell good coffee for a good cause.

my weekend

I have no idea why people bad-mouth Ohio?  It is completely beautiful!  I could hardly keep from taking pictures from morning to night!

I had such a great weekend - here is how we spent it!  (you may have to click on some of the pictures to make them large enough to see) - enjoy!

Love that people can experience these rides and are outside instead of sitting at home!

Kind rangers assisting me in my exploration of Malabar's woods - in search of a video site for xmas 

I love it when the reflection is more magnificent than the real images

Main house at Malabar Farm

My favorite...clouds

Breathtaking Ohio beauty!

Communion at Crossroads

Crossroads worshipping - it was very participatory and engaging this weekend!

panoramic view of worship

Our future looks bright with the God given talents of our youth!

100+ pound pumpkin carving at Prairie Peddler

panoramic view of Prairie Peddler center area

Peakin' over the fence early Saturday morning when we arrived at Prairie Peddler to park attendees

View from the car - a beautiful weekend indeed!

This was a shot of where most of the people at Prairie Peddler were gathered to eat and enjoy music - click to hear and watch.

Our old jeep - took it for a spin!

I am thankful for where I live, for what God's given me, for a hubby that will take me to explore what is around us and for a God who has chosen that I be here, for this time and I pray my work, and life reflect my gratefulness to Him !