Pam: I Love My Church

I have been asked several times lately when am I going to blog. What wisdom do I have to share? Well, I don’t know about wisdom but what I do know is I love my church! I cannot say it strongly enough, I LOVE MY CHURCH!

Our Pastor and his wife are the absolute best. They are not only extraordinary teachers but both have such an incredible love for the Lord. It’s totally infectious, and keeps you longing for more. But if that weren't enough we have an amazing worship team that blesses us Sundays and Wednesdays with heavenly music. We have the finest group of ladies around; these women are great friends whose energy and talents know no bounds. Plus we have a myriad of people who give selflessly each and every day of the year serving our church, serving our Lord.

But what I love most about our church is that it is family. Everyone genuinely cares about each other; all you need to do is attend one pot luck or fellowship after church to know what I am talking about. There is a camaraderie like no other. With this family comes unlimited care. If your car is broken down, they’ll get it fixed. If your fence needs mending, that’s not a problem. Laid up in the hospital? They’ll make sure you have meals. Whatever your need, they are there. Of course it goes without saying there is plenty of prayer to go along with that. It’s a safe and comfortable place to be.

I never had a lot of family around me growing up but I did watch that sizeable TV family, The Walton’s, and what I observed was that, like my church, no matter how busy their lives got or how many different directions they were thrown in, at the end of the day they all came together to sup and to share what was going on in their lives, lavishing their love on one another. I can't imagine life any other way. If you've not been there you should come see what I mean.

Now, in the Walton’s tradition ... Good night Deb, Good night Shannon, Good night Sylvia, Good night Cora, Good night Fran, Good night Kimmy, Good night Laurie, Good night Tarri, and the rest of my church family.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. ~Colossians 3:15-16a

Fran: Who are you?

Have you ever noticed that people tend to live up to your expectations of them? I have a family member who has a reputation for being late. We talked about it one time and she told me that no matter how many times she wasn’t late, she still couldn’t change the reputation so she figured why fight it? If she was going to be harassed for being late anyway, she might as well be!

Unfortunately, I’ve known several people who were told all their lives that they were stupid, worthless and good for nothing. Guess how they turned out? Believing those lies and living up to them.

It works the other way too though. You’ve probably heard stories of how someone kept pressing toward a goal simply because someone else believed in them. They were told they were smart, funny, gifted, etc. and they believed it. They lived their lives believing it and accomplishing great things.

We hear a lot of voices in our world today telling us who we are. Unfortunately, most of what we hear isn’t true.

What is the truth? That can be answered by asking the question; “Who does God say that I am?”

God’s word says:

I am made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27)

I am a child of God (John 1:12)

I am a temple–a dwelling place–of God. His Spirit and His life live in me (1 Corinthians 3:16)

I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)

I am righteous and holy (4:24)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 5:16)

I am God’s workmanship–His handiwork–born anew in Christ to do good works (Ephesians 2:10)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)

I will resemble Christ when He returns (1 John 3:1-2)

I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)

I am God’s treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2)

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will–to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:3-8)

The things written above are the truth; about me, about you and about everyone who belongs to Christ. We have value in Him; far more than the world knows, far more than we comprehend.

Lord, I pray that you would help us know just how great Your love for us truly is. Please help us to remember who we are in You and live like we believe it. Please help us to also remember the value of our fellow believers and to treat them accordingly. Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for us. We wait anxiously for Your return. We love You.

Amen.

Shannon: Kari's Post

Kari wrote an interesting post on her blog Thursday. It reminded me of the story of the missionary who was driving down a remote, pot-holed road (no, not my driveway ... but close) when he came upon an elderly man carrying a large bag over his shoulder. It was clear by the way the man walked that the bag was very heavy. Stopping his truck, the missionary asked the traveler if he'd like a ride. The elderly man nodded and climbed up on the truck's tailgate--but though he had accepted a ride, he continued to hold that large burden on his shoulder. He could have so easily let it slip from his back, and let the very thing that carried him carry his burden also.

Jesus came to die for our sins--yes. And He came to release us of the fear of the grave. But He also came to relieve us of our burdens. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-29).

I'm sure many of us can relate to Kari's post. Check out Burdens Not Meant to Carry.

Shannon: Yesterday

I have to tell you, I woke up this morning still smiling from our meeting yesterday. Fran, Cora, Laurie, Tarri, Kim, and Sylvia--you blessed me more than you can know. I'm often struck by the "life" in our group. Sitting at Alfy's, watching your faces around the table and listening to the rhythm of our laughter, I was awed anew by the beauty God has brought to our church. You just can't even begin to guess at how much I love you all.

Thank you for your ministry to our women, and your obvious love of God, and for your friendship. What a treasure you all are!