wow these remarkable people never do anything halfway

look at all these marvelous people who made YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY cimanum rolls today, fundraising for women's ministries (yes that's how you say cinnamon when there that YUMMY)

looky looky what a cutie

Brittany's picture fundraiser for her mission trip (way to go again girl!) gave us some more amazing pics of our little man. Who, by the way, started preschool today, early smarty pants boy. (sorry i couldn't help but blog em)

i just can't get enough of joni's devotions

A Calf's Look At Life

"Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

On a particularly damp and windy day, hundreds of calves were huddled outside, shoulder to hindquarter, tucked between the fence and the barn. The rain had created a mess of mud and the calves looked dirty-brown instead of the usual black and white. They looked miserable.

All except one calf. Although he, too, faced the same windy rain and was covered with the same mud, he chose a different shelter -an open field of muck! In the face of the wind he skipped and jumped like a child. He was oblivious to the downpour. That calf literally looked happy.

Life is quite often like the farm scene of the calves, isn't it? We huddle with others of like misery in hopes that one day our lives will be happy again. Like the calf, however, David, the psalmist, chose an unusual moment in his life to declare the joy of being a child of God. Huddled around him in the cave of Adulam were four hundred smelly, dirty renegades fleeing from Saul. But David had the audacity to declare: "Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34:5)

David made a choice for himself. "We may be in a mess and we may be discouraged. But my God knows we are here and knows our need. I will dance and sing."

David was able to do so despite his fears. He submitted them to God and was enabled to declare a calf-like joy. Are you gripped with a spirit of fear? Take each one by the horn and lead it to the face of God. Let your fears see the light of eternal day and you, too, will skip, laugh, dance, and sing.

Lord, I desire to skip and dance like a calf despite the problems that face me each day. Grant me the inner sunshine of Your Holy Spirit.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends

joniandfriends.org

our sound/media system is being cantankerous so there's no podcast of this week's sermon, i thought i would type up some highlights:

Yes your pastor is still in the longest sermon series known to man, actually now it's a sermon series within a sermon series (Tim Hawkins would have a hayday with that, hee hee)...

Of course I started with something funny, another email from Angie Hoff, she's always sending me the funniest stuff!

Holy Mess part 4, Luke 18

Now we have visited some of Jesus words in all 4 gospels in this wonderfully holly mess!

This chapter contains the danger of prayer meetings. I often meditate on whether or not i'm playing the part of the tax collector (Lord have mercy on me a sinner) or pharisee...

My hero, Michael Yaconelli, writes... what keeps many of us from growing is not sin but speed. Spiritual growth does not happen by running faster. Speed damages our souls because living fast consumes every ounce of our energy. Speed has a deafening roar that drowns out the whispering voices of our souls and leaves Jesus as a diminishing speck in the rearview mirror. While the church earnestly warns Christians to watch for the devil, the devil is sitting in the congregation encouraging everyone to keep busy doing "good things." Run faster! (the church bulletin screams)

It turns out that it's weariness that's next to godliness, because when our souls are tired, we are able to hear HIS voice, and according to Matthew 11:28, what HE's saying is, COME, REST!

Rest is a decision we make. Rest is choosing to do nothing when we have too much to do, slowing down when we feel pressure to go faster, stopping instead of starting. Rest is listening to our weariness and responding to our tiredness, not to what is making us tired. Rest is what happens when we say one simple word: NO! Rest is the ultimate humiliation because in order to rest, we must admit we are not necessary, that the world can get along without us, that God's work does not depend on us. (my ministry completely changed after reading a book written by Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn entitled: the unnecessary pastor)

Once we understand how unnecessary we are, only then might we find the right reasons to say yes. Only then might we find the right reasons to decide to be with Jesus instead of working for him. (i'm a mary and you can't make me a martha)

FOUR NONPRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

1. spiritual growth encompasses a lifetime of decisions

We would all like to believe that growth results from one mighty decision, a once-and-for-all commitment to God. And while we should celebrate our initial decision to follow Christ, it's just the beginning of our spiritual journey...

2. spiritual growth looks different for each of us

Even though most people in the church believe spiritual growth should look like it, growth cannot be charted as a steadily climbing line. Genuine growth follows as many patterns as their are people. In spite of all the growth gurus and experts out there, we can't clone, manipulate, or systematize spiritual growth. We can't predict the unpredictable...

3. give God 60 percent

This preacher has proclaimed along with most other spiritual leaders, "you either love God or you don't. you are either committed or you aren't. give God 100 percent." Sounds very spiritual, but the truth is there is no such thing as 100 percent commitment. We strive, want, wish for 100 percent, but life isn't quite that simple. Sometimes a 70 percent is 100 percent of all we have to give...

4. reluctant growth is still growth

No matter how much we've grown, we still need to grow more. No matter how mature we are, we never stop maturing. And no matter how unspiritual we are, as lons as we want to grow more, Jesus will show up in the life of even the messiest of disciples...

...and the sermon was concluded with the tear-jerking story of Daryl (the reluctant volunteer mistaken for Jesus) and Oliver Leak's peaceful death...

so thankful for all the extraordinary souls of our church

there's always some volunteer working hard to better our church

today i caught these special people in action

the Mohrman family is always tackling some need for their church

this time it was beautifying the women's restroom

even fixin a troublesome toilet, GLORY

Jesse really knows how to handle this orange machine

Billy is either playing in the nursery or cleaning it

seriously how many churches have responsible teen boys cleaning them every week?!

and i don't know where this irishman eating a lime came from

Matthew 18:1...At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

SO FUNNY and SO TRUE

last night God was painting the sky while i was hangin in the backyard playin with some kids clubbers

fabulous words from last night's book club

We are reading Peter Scazzero's THE EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY CHURCH.

Principle 1: Look Beneath The Surface

Last night Heather's story to illustrate how the Gospel intersects with looking beneath the surface (pg. 81) truly ministered to me...

I love the Gospel. Before I really understood it, although I had been a Christian over ten years, I hid from my wretchedness, my defenses, my broken parts, even the abuse I suffered as a young girl. In fact, I was always in hiding - hiding my anger, jealousy, arrogance, conditional love, selfishness, brokenness, mistakes, weaknesses, and inadequacies. These things were unacceptable in the Christian circles I knew. I didn't think I would be liked or accepted if I was not strong and together. Who would then listen to me? I had to prove myself capable, strong, perfect and righteous.

In the past, when I had a hard time loving others, I would begin to despair. "I'm a Christian and I'm not able to do the very essence of Christianity," I'd lament. Then I realized I was depending on my self-righteousness to recommend myself to God's favor. I unconsciously had what people call the daisy mentality - "He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not" - based on how well I was doing in my spiritual life.

Through a study of Galatians, I received a fresh and powerful grasp of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't have to prove myself to anyone - which is how I was unconsciously living my life. I am perfectly loved and accepted by God because of Christ's life, death, and resurrection for me. I love knowing that I have nothing left to prove because I am valued, loved, and accepted by Jesus Christ. I can actually be free to be me. I can come out of hiding!

I am free to fail, to share my weaknesses and needs with others, to admit if I have a problem, to say "I don't know," to admit "I was wrong, please forgive me," to recognize that I don't have all the answers, and to relax and have fun, not thinking I have to take care of everyone else...

THAT CRANKS MY TRACTOR!!!

LORD HAVE MERCY

Join me in praying for all affected by this horrific disaster!

JESUS HELP

Convoy of Hope links:

Earthquake and Tsunami Strike Japan — Convoy of Hope

http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/headlines/entry/message_from_our_president

don't miss this sunday evening's missions celebration

Yesterday I had so much fun being a junior higher with the Belfords

We junior highers went skiing in Wyoming yesterday, and I had lots of fun making up nicknames for some very cool kids...

Actually I went skiing and they all tried to snowboard. As you can see in the video, they spent a lot of time falling...(mean preacher, actually I have to work very hard to be even a little athletic, these beautiful people learned well)

Look who's in the newspaper...YEAH BRITTANY!!!

(click on image to make it large enough to read)