Hello everyone,
I know I have not posted in awhile yet, I figured I would get one last one in before the end of the year. It is hard to comprehend that another year has almost come in gone. We all have made new friends, gone to new places, and have some troubles along the way myself included of course. We'll make it through another one just like we have this past year and the ones before.
I hope you all have a great Christmas and a great, fun, exciting New Year!
JB
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello everyone,
I am sure you are busy with getting together with family or eating/preparing a big meal for later on. I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! God is awesome and I am thankful for all He has done for me. I am sure we all could list many, many things we are thankful for. I would say that I am just happy to be alive; heck, I'd miss out gaming with friends or just seeing the pretty leaves change. Some still are on the trees out near my home. Pretty ones too. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone! :)
I am sure you are busy with getting together with family or eating/preparing a big meal for later on. I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! God is awesome and I am thankful for all He has done for me. I am sure we all could list many, many things we are thankful for. I would say that I am just happy to be alive; heck, I'd miss out gaming with friends or just seeing the pretty leaves change. Some still are on the trees out near my home. Pretty ones too. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone! :)
Monday, November 05, 2007
Thoughts about Church and the Digital Realm
Hey there everyone,
Yes, I'm aware that it has been awhile since I last posted. I at the present time am still doing the college thing plus church work is keeping me fairly busy. I am a bit worried about an upcoming meeting on Tuesday. The main leaders of the church are meeting to discuss various issues. My gut feeling is that it will not be rather pretty and if not ugly then juts plain chock full of tension and frustration. I wish I could say more about the meeting yet, I cannot due to that it would affect what we as a church are trying to do. I also was pondering and just thinking about how our regular lives are intersecting and becoming more public/digital everyday. I recently found a friend of Facebook and I found out about his marriage. I did just more than find out about who he was married too, I found out who was at his wedding i.e the groomsman and bridesmaid etc. I found out how they came together plus how he propsed to his wife. Ya know what the scary thing is? I never attened the wedding nor asked him about it. I found all that information online. Scary isnt it? The digital realm such as my blog and Facebook etc are becoming more and more part of our lives. Information is increasingly becoming less private and is shifting more into the public realm. Being in communications I am rather aware of this fact and have read a few articles here and there about various aspects of the digital realm specifically Reality TV as a recent example.
I hope you ponder and consider that a bit this week. Have a good one! :)
Yes, I'm aware that it has been awhile since I last posted. I at the present time am still doing the college thing plus church work is keeping me fairly busy. I am a bit worried about an upcoming meeting on Tuesday. The main leaders of the church are meeting to discuss various issues. My gut feeling is that it will not be rather pretty and if not ugly then juts plain chock full of tension and frustration. I wish I could say more about the meeting yet, I cannot due to that it would affect what we as a church are trying to do. I also was pondering and just thinking about how our regular lives are intersecting and becoming more public/digital everyday. I recently found a friend of Facebook and I found out about his marriage. I did just more than find out about who he was married too, I found out who was at his wedding i.e the groomsman and bridesmaid etc. I found out how they came together plus how he propsed to his wife. Ya know what the scary thing is? I never attened the wedding nor asked him about it. I found all that information online. Scary isnt it? The digital realm such as my blog and Facebook etc are becoming more and more part of our lives. Information is increasingly becoming less private and is shifting more into the public realm. Being in communications I am rather aware of this fact and have read a few articles here and there about various aspects of the digital realm specifically Reality TV as a recent example.
I hope you ponder and consider that a bit this week. Have a good one! :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hello all!
Yes, I know it has been a long time since my last post. :( My blog is a blog and life is life. I was sitting at a Subway in a Wal-Mart yesterday just people watching. Lots of thoughts yet, one comes to mind: all/most of these people entering an exiting the store don't know Jesus. I wonder what their thoughts are; it'd be neat to have that ability and see all the various thoughts and things running through their heads. What's going on through your head? Here's the kicker: is it good stuff? Thoughts that are pleasing to God or that He wouldn't approve of? Just ponder that this weekend a bit, you'd might be surprised Have a good one everyone! :)
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Saturday, August 11, 2007
Day 3 Summary
Hey there everyone,
I'm currently still heading along back towards Michigan. I really enjoyed worship today with Kirk Franklin. A great guy, lots of energy, and a joy of the Lord. A few things I picked up on today:
Surround yourself with leaders who know more about things than yourself. That of course is obvious yet, not followed through at times.
Another point is that we need to inspire others. Yet, a question comes to mind "Who should inspire us, if we are a leader or senior leader?". The answer: us/me. Kinda scary huh? I sure don't do that at times nor do I have that down. King David did though; before a big battle he went off and prayed/spoke to the Lord. That's we he got his strength and courage.
I wish you all could have been here this year to experience something different, learn something and God's joy in worship.
If you have any questions or would like to know more just contact me. I always have my "virtual" office door open plus stop me when I'm at church. :)
Have a good rest of the weekend and stay cool. :)
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I'm currently still heading along back towards Michigan. I really enjoyed worship today with Kirk Franklin. A great guy, lots of energy, and a joy of the Lord. A few things I picked up on today:
Surround yourself with leaders who know more about things than yourself. That of course is obvious yet, not followed through at times.
Another point is that we need to inspire others. Yet, a question comes to mind "Who should inspire us, if we are a leader or senior leader?". The answer: us/me. Kinda scary huh? I sure don't do that at times nor do I have that down. King David did though; before a big battle he went off and prayed/spoke to the Lord. That's we he got his strength and courage.
I wish you all could have been here this year to experience something different, learn something and God's joy in worship.
If you have any questions or would like to know more just contact me. I always have my "virtual" office door open plus stop me when I'm at church. :)
Have a good rest of the weekend and stay cool. :)
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Friday, August 10, 2007
Day 2 Summary
Hey there everyone,
Today has been another good day at the Leadership Summit. I have learned a lot and am in somewhat of an information overload. Why? Starting from 9AM until 5PM with lunch and breaks in between with speakers sharing information while myself and the other attendees are taking notes like crazy. Anyways, here is another brief summary of some of the various information I picked up on today.
First off, the worship time today was AWESOME!!! I had tears of joy and had to stop singing throughout most of the worship time earlier today. Just imagine, in a room with 7,000 people all singing and praising God. Just singing their hearts out, plus other sites throughout North America singing praise to God as well. That to me is just very, very awesome and cool. I wish you all could be here to see and experience that.
Second, my summary of what the various speakers today has to say:
Michael Porter from Harvard university spoke about how we (the church or company) should best serve the community. He focused on making sure the reasons behind our actions (our meaning your church or company) are valid plus effective. The key is that we create social value. Here's the equation for social value
Social Value= Social benefits
---------------
Resources expended
So, that was interesting. We just need to be clear and to make sure that what we are doing is effective, clear, and actually doing something.
General Colin Powell was interviewed; this was a pre-recorded one. He had a lot of what he liked to call Powell principles and I've touched on a few below.
Oh, oh oh, one key point (what I'm sure most of you already know)
Trust is key in interpersonal relationships.
I'm sure you all know what will happen if you don't have that key in your relationships.
Another principle is that only people can get things done. This means followers and not charts, PowerPoint presentations, groups etc. That's all good at the end of the day yet, the people will get things done. Now, I know that because you people, wherever you're serving, is getting things done. So, keep up the good work. Lastly, another principle is that you need to be prepared to disappoint. Now, doesn't that sound odd? It does to me yet, after chewing it for awhile it makes sense. You or I cannot make everyone absolutely happy no matter what. You might have done all you can do that you think will make your boss or pastor happy, yet he or she still might leave at the end of the day not pleased nor happy with what you worked on that particular day.
John Ortberg spoke about a leader's greatest fear. This talk was more of an introspective look into what we as leaders do that tear us down, rip us on the inside, and something that is entirely selfish. He used the story of Esther as an example to focus on shadow mission. An example of a shadow mission in the story of Esther is Haman who was trying to get fame, glory, and more. Yet, he kept saying it was for an official purpose and snuck his order to wipe out Mordecai's people.
Lastly, we watched a video interview of Richard Curtis. An interesting man who is trying to make a difference in the world, but is not a Christian. Two things I took away form him: 1. There is power in humor 2. Pick people for the right reasons Now, keep in mind that he is not a Christian plus he's a director not even a church person. Odd, on how that is two rather somewhat obvious principles yet we (church people or business people) do not make us of either as best we should at times. Myself included in that group.
That's a rather detailed summary and I hope you are able to see where I'm at while at this year's Leadership Summit. Have a good weekend everyone! :)
Today has been another good day at the Leadership Summit. I have learned a lot and am in somewhat of an information overload. Why? Starting from 9AM until 5PM with lunch and breaks in between with speakers sharing information while myself and the other attendees are taking notes like crazy. Anyways, here is another brief summary of some of the various information I picked up on today.
First off, the worship time today was AWESOME!!! I had tears of joy and had to stop singing throughout most of the worship time earlier today. Just imagine, in a room with 7,000 people all singing and praising God. Just singing their hearts out, plus other sites throughout North America singing praise to God as well. That to me is just very, very awesome and cool. I wish you all could be here to see and experience that.
Second, my summary of what the various speakers today has to say:
Michael Porter from Harvard university spoke about how we (the church or company) should best serve the community. He focused on making sure the reasons behind our actions (our meaning your church or company) are valid plus effective. The key is that we create social value. Here's the equation for social value
Social Value= Social benefits
---------------
Resources expended
So, that was interesting. We just need to be clear and to make sure that what we are doing is effective, clear, and actually doing something.
General Colin Powell was interviewed; this was a pre-recorded one. He had a lot of what he liked to call Powell principles and I've touched on a few below.
Oh, oh oh, one key point (what I'm sure most of you already know)
Trust is key in interpersonal relationships.
I'm sure you all know what will happen if you don't have that key in your relationships.
Another principle is that only people can get things done. This means followers and not charts, PowerPoint presentations, groups etc. That's all good at the end of the day yet, the people will get things done. Now, I know that because you people, wherever you're serving, is getting things done. So, keep up the good work. Lastly, another principle is that you need to be prepared to disappoint. Now, doesn't that sound odd? It does to me yet, after chewing it for awhile it makes sense. You or I cannot make everyone absolutely happy no matter what. You might have done all you can do that you think will make your boss or pastor happy, yet he or she still might leave at the end of the day not pleased nor happy with what you worked on that particular day.
John Ortberg spoke about a leader's greatest fear. This talk was more of an introspective look into what we as leaders do that tear us down, rip us on the inside, and something that is entirely selfish. He used the story of Esther as an example to focus on shadow mission. An example of a shadow mission in the story of Esther is Haman who was trying to get fame, glory, and more. Yet, he kept saying it was for an official purpose and snuck his order to wipe out Mordecai's people.
Lastly, we watched a video interview of Richard Curtis. An interesting man who is trying to make a difference in the world, but is not a Christian. Two things I took away form him: 1. There is power in humor 2. Pick people for the right reasons Now, keep in mind that he is not a Christian plus he's a director not even a church person. Odd, on how that is two rather somewhat obvious principles yet we (church people or business people) do not make us of either as best we should at times. Myself included in that group.
That's a rather detailed summary and I hope you are able to see where I'm at while at this year's Leadership Summit. Have a good weekend everyone! :)
Day 2
Learning lots again today and will post later about today's sessions.
One thing: I love (emphasis on love) worship here. 7,000 some people and all over North America singing and praising God. Wow; I could hardly sing today earlier due to tears of joy and happiness.
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Day 1
Hey there everyone,
Sorry for not posting last night. I was up late enjoying people's company and rather tired too. Overall, the sessions were great and I sure could hear the Lord speaking to me about things be it about myself or Redeemer. Below is a summary of Day 1:
Many people focus on their weaknesses rather than their strengths.
If a leader has a vision, they must promote it, and get people's input while creating it. If someone really has "bought in" to the vision, they (haven forbid) will die for that vision
You can learn something from everyone. Plus there is a gift in everything, we just have to *look* for them.
Blessings all.
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Thursday, August 09, 2007
Day 1 Post
I shall have a post sometime later this evening, so keep an eye out.
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Friday, July 27, 2007
Time
It's hard to believe yet summer is almost over. It's coming to the end of July and into August. That means everyone will be back to their normal routine i.e. college kids, high schoolers and below, plus families etc. I must admit I'm bummed that summer is coming to an end and at the same time glad too. I've been relaxing and whatnot a lot; a switch to a more rigid schedule and keeping busy won't hurt things. Church wise it has been a fairly "uneventful summer", granted we've had various things occur plus the ministry fair. I'm just referring to nothing bad or disasterous occurring I've gotten a few things done here and there over the summer church wise so that's a good thing. My next big, major task will be replacing the lamp in the sanctuary projector. Just plugging away as best I can. God's still God and I'm still me. Good things both ways. Take it easy everyone.
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Sunday, July 15, 2007
Something to Ponder & Think About This Morning
Morning everyone,
Just here at church early again this morning though not as early as last week. I arrived here at 7:10 AM this time around. I read through Luke 12 this morning and I wanted to share some insights with all of you.
There was just a lot in this particular chapter to say the least. I liked verses 22-34 where it talks about focusing on God rather than on clothes. The Message titles it Steep Yourself in God-Reality; pretty cool way of putting it eh? In verse 29 it says "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving." Oh how true that is with me, I'll throw out all these prayers about me, something church related, or help in situation i.e. give me whatever I just asked for. Granted, we are supposed to pray and be talking with God in every and any situation yet, we should have more prayers/praise of something about he's made i.e. flowers, another day to breathe etc. Plus once we don't just focus on us rather what God wants us to do/Him we'll be so much better off.
That focus also ties in with Pastor's Message today which will be focusing on Acts 9:1-31 where Saul becomes a believer with the new name of Paul. He was focused on himself crushing those who believed in Christ. He wasn't focused on God nor had his gazed fixed on Him. After he became blind and was filled with the Holy Spirit, things took a 180.
Lord may I and others be filled with the Holy Spirit and have our own 180 degree turn. May we focus on eyes on You and not on ourselves or things of this world. Be with all of us today and every day as we walk through this life. Amen
Have a good one everyone! :)
Just here at church early again this morning though not as early as last week. I arrived here at 7:10 AM this time around. I read through Luke 12 this morning and I wanted to share some insights with all of you.
There was just a lot in this particular chapter to say the least. I liked verses 22-34 where it talks about focusing on God rather than on clothes. The Message titles it Steep Yourself in God-Reality; pretty cool way of putting it eh? In verse 29 it says "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving." Oh how true that is with me, I'll throw out all these prayers about me, something church related, or help in situation i.e. give me whatever I just asked for. Granted, we are supposed to pray and be talking with God in every and any situation yet, we should have more prayers/praise of something about he's made i.e. flowers, another day to breathe etc. Plus once we don't just focus on us rather what God wants us to do/Him we'll be so much better off.
That focus also ties in with Pastor's Message today which will be focusing on Acts 9:1-31 where Saul becomes a believer with the new name of Paul. He was focused on himself crushing those who believed in Christ. He wasn't focused on God nor had his gazed fixed on Him. After he became blind and was filled with the Holy Spirit, things took a 180.
Lord may I and others be filled with the Holy Spirit and have our own 180 degree turn. May we focus on eyes on You and not on ourselves or things of this world. Be with all of us today and every day as we walk through this life. Amen
Have a good one everyone! :)
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Just A Few Notes
Morning everyone,
I still am somewhat surprised that I arrived at church at 6:40 A.M. today; I figured I would have slept in awhile or have gotten here at 7:30. I think it was mainly due I wanted to be here in case anything needed to be fine tuned today plus my nerves. I know that God has everything under control though I'm still a bit edgy. Both of today's services are very tech heavy with CDs for our early service and various DVDs for our late service. I pray that everything will go smoothly and even better than I expect. May God use whatever happens for His glory and purpose.
The reasons it's hard today is that I'm coordinating the late service plus mainly in charge for today. I'm not preaching, but I'm just making sure that our guest pastor is all set and everyone knows what's going on etc.
I just read through Luke 10:1-20 in the Message and here's a verse that stood out: "Not what you do for God but what God does for you -- that's the agenda for rejoicing." To me that just sounds so cool plus I should rejoice when God does something for me or works in me.
Here's the verse in it's complete context: Luke 10 Lambs in a Wolf Pack
1-2Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
"What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
3"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack.
4"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
"Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
5-6"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.
7"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
8-9"When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!'
10-12"When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, 'The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back. Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?' Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.
13-14"Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they'd have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.
15"And you, Capernaum! Do you think you're about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You're on a mudslide to hell.
16"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."
17The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"
18-20Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that's the agenda for rejoicing."
21At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
22"I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to."
23-24He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. "Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper."
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Have a good Sunday everyone.
I still am somewhat surprised that I arrived at church at 6:40 A.M. today; I figured I would have slept in awhile or have gotten here at 7:30. I think it was mainly due I wanted to be here in case anything needed to be fine tuned today plus my nerves. I know that God has everything under control though I'm still a bit edgy. Both of today's services are very tech heavy with CDs for our early service and various DVDs for our late service. I pray that everything will go smoothly and even better than I expect. May God use whatever happens for His glory and purpose.
The reasons it's hard today is that I'm coordinating the late service plus mainly in charge for today. I'm not preaching, but I'm just making sure that our guest pastor is all set and everyone knows what's going on etc.
I just read through Luke 10:1-20 in the Message and here's a verse that stood out: "Not what you do for God but what God does for you -- that's the agenda for rejoicing." To me that just sounds so cool plus I should rejoice when God does something for me or works in me.
Here's the verse in it's complete context: Luke 10 Lambs in a Wolf Pack
1-2Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
"What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
3"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack.
4"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
"Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
5-6"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.
7"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
8-9"When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!'
10-12"When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, 'The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back. Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?' Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.
13-14"Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they'd have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.
15"And you, Capernaum! Do you think you're about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You're on a mudslide to hell.
16"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."
17The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"
18-20Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that's the agenda for rejoicing."
21At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
22"I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to."
23-24He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. "Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper."
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Have a good Sunday everyone.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Just some brief thoughts
Hey there everyone,
The cool part about todays service is that a lot of it coincided with what I posted earlier today. Pastor's Message and the various parts related back to the Holy Spirit plus the chapter in Luke that I read earlier today. Not quite sure what to say yet, the only thing that comes to mind is that I was on the same page that God was on; without that I wouldn't be able to relate or make the various connections. Have a good week all and Happy early Independence Day!!! Woot!!!
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Cool Stuff & A Verse in God's Word
Morning friends,
Yes, I'm up late; had some coffee plus a nap so I screwed myself up tonight/this morning. Anyways, I was reading in Luke 11 this morning and it was pretty cool how The Message translation puts the Lord's Prayer, and the seek and knock passage. Here's the Lord's Prayer: "Father, reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.". Pretty cool eh? I think so. Here's the seek, knock passage: "Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open." Plain and simple when you look/examine it over closely. After that it says to be direct with God, ask for what you need. So simple yet, I sure don't do that at times. At the end of that section it hit me where if you ask God to give you the Holy Spirit He will. I know I have it yet, it wouldn't hurt to get filled again or have a brighter/bigger filling of it. Lord give me more/fill me up/make my heart burn with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A bit later Luke talks about your light and letting it shine. Check this out: "Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." I love that verse there; it's verse 36. Overall good plus some convicting there and I'm glad that the Lord showed me some things plus I'm conscious enough to grasp it. Blessings all; sleep for me now.
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Yes, I'm up late; had some coffee plus a nap so I screwed myself up tonight/this morning. Anyways, I was reading in Luke 11 this morning and it was pretty cool how The Message translation puts the Lord's Prayer, and the seek and knock passage. Here's the Lord's Prayer: "Father, reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.". Pretty cool eh? I think so. Here's the seek, knock passage: "Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open." Plain and simple when you look/examine it over closely. After that it says to be direct with God, ask for what you need. So simple yet, I sure don't do that at times. At the end of that section it hit me where if you ask God to give you the Holy Spirit He will. I know I have it yet, it wouldn't hurt to get filled again or have a brighter/bigger filling of it. Lord give me more/fill me up/make my heart burn with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A bit later Luke talks about your light and letting it shine. Check this out: "Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." I love that verse there; it's verse 36. Overall good plus some convicting there and I'm glad that the Lord showed me some things plus I'm conscious enough to grasp it. Blessings all; sleep for me now.
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
Strong Until the Finish Line
Hey there everyone,
First off happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there and hope you had a good day celebrating it in whatever fashion that turned out to be for today.
Secondly, I must admit I'm still somewhat bummed out about today's service. It was a bit more stressful than most Sunday's in the past. Why? Partly due to that I was involved in more of putting it together than normal even including changes and additions in the morning. We had 3 DVD clips plus some pictures that was part of the kid's presentation. The pictures of the kids got some laughs especially one where a guy (I don't know his name) was exiting the bathroom. I must admit it took a bit of fine tuning i.e. removing some red eyes plus adding eyes to a kid. In the final group shot a kid on the end, in regards to his eyes, looked funny. The camera made it so one of his eyes looked odd; it had a white glare/dot. (Trust me it is hard to describe) Anyways, I used the red eye removal tool in Adobe Photoshop CS2 (plus I made some automation along the way to help me in the future while editing photos) which caused him to have entirely black eyes i.e. you couldn't really see a white pupil. So, in order to not make him look weird in the photo, I zoomed in on his eyes, used the pencil tool to add some white to a pixel on each eye, and when I zoomed out it looked more normal. Granted on a close look from the other kid's eyes to his it might not appear right, but up on the screen it looked better than just a kid with black eyes.
Lastly, about today's service...it was not pretty to say the least. On the last DVD that was cued up I closed the program and cued it up again, just trying to make it easier to start. That's it; nothing major technical failed, the equipment was working fine, and I was back there. I made the decision, closed the DVD playback program, and cued it up again. I alone caused the technical failure to occur and nobody else. I also take the full responsibility and ramifications for my actions. *sighs* I probably should have left well enough alone and it would have ran fine yet, that wasn't what happened. I was just trying to save a step and make it easier to start the DVD; instead of clicking OK on a dialogue box just hitting the play button.
On a positive note, the service overall went very well (late) and I felt the Holy Spirit there. I hope the rest of you did too in some way or another. Plus I'm looking forward to the upcoming Leadership Summit 2007; it will be a good team for us leaders (and others too) to connect, refuel, and have some fun along the way.
That's it for now; have a good week everyone.
Plus, I'd appreciate your prayers and I must admit I was not in Bible class today like I stated I would be in my previous post. Things just didn't quite play out liked I planned today. That's life: turns, twists, accidents, stalls, unforeseen changes, plus friends, families, and good times along the way.
Take it easy all.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Thoughts after Reading God's Word
Hey there everyone,
I just was reading in Luke chapters 9 and 10 in The Message. I recommend that particular translation, by the way though it helps as I've found out plus a fellow staff member at church told me as well, to have a regular translation handy like the New International Version (which I also have) and use.
Anyways, I was reading in the last part of chapter 10 where it talks about Mary and Martha and something hit me. I do (and have been (hate saying this; hurts)) get caught up in the stuff of things on Sunday. I need to just let God control things and hand stuff over to Him. I'm not saying I should just slack off and not do my part serving (job/work doesn't sound good to me nor should people say they're working on Sunday; serving is better, in my opinion). I need to be in Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not part of the technical team. So, I'm making a commitment here that I shall attend Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not serving. :)
One final note, the voter's meeting is today. I hope and pray that the Lord blesses it. May we recognize His presence, His love, and His insight into what's going on at our church.
Have a good Sunday and week everyone.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
I just was reading in Luke chapters 9 and 10 in The Message. I recommend that particular translation, by the way though it helps as I've found out plus a fellow staff member at church told me as well, to have a regular translation handy like the New International Version (which I also have) and use.
Anyways, I was reading in the last part of chapter 10 where it talks about Mary and Martha and something hit me. I do (and have been (hate saying this; hurts)) get caught up in the stuff of things on Sunday. I need to just let God control things and hand stuff over to Him. I'm not saying I should just slack off and not do my part serving (job/work doesn't sound good to me nor should people say they're working on Sunday; serving is better, in my opinion). I need to be in Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not part of the technical team. So, I'm making a commitment here that I shall attend Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not serving. :)
One final note, the voter's meeting is today. I hope and pray that the Lord blesses it. May we recognize His presence, His love, and His insight into what's going on at our church.
Have a good Sunday and week everyone.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Thoughts and Dreams
Hey there everyone,
I must admit that today (at least internally and brain wise) has not been one of my best days. I hopped out of town for dinner and to just think/ponder I suppose. I must admit that the orange mocha I'm having (courtesy of Starbucks) is.. Different to say the least. It reminds me of the orange flavored chocolate candy that surfaces now and then at parties. Ya know the chocolate orange wedges that taste good? Anyways, internally I think I'm coming down with something (possibly a cold), but I hope that's not the case. Today I went back into one of my old ruts and I was sitting there thinking "It's wrong; stop now; die to yourself on the cross..." I have been pondering that and just find it....different that my mind and probably the Holy Spirit were waving red flags at me. I can say my conscience was working yet, I didn't follow it. Oh well, just have to do better next time.
My past has been nawing at me today moreso than usual. A relationship that, I am not sure entirely what its purpose was for. I can say it took care of some of my "wants" yet, there were good points to it as well. *pauses and frowns* I must move forward and on...*shakes head* Easier said than done.
Wednesday is practice night and I must admit I'm not entirely looking forward to it. The sound issues that occurred on Sunday must and will be dealt with. I just hope its an easy solution.
*sighs* dang all about me yet not of my dreams yet (church wise)
I'm going to try and setup a wiki plus some forums for the church. Maybe we'll be able to have multiple wikis where members can post, edit, and add there own pieces of information about their tips for praying or Bible study suggestions/ideas/plans etc. The forums could have discussions about the previous service or event. Small groups could have a continuing conversation online about we they discussed at their last gathering. Suggestions and ideas could flow from the congregation to the staff or other (key?) leaders.
If we (meaning the church arena) could take/create awesome websites or programs (maybe even games or virtual guides) as good as the PC video gaming industry does, possibly throwing that into our websites at the very least, we'd have one heckuva (fill in the blank here).
Lastly, there is something(s) that'd I'd love to do/have. Though being a guy plus a follow of Christ I cannot have unless through one option or options depending on the thing. The ironic part is I know that it (or the other stuff) will not fill my heart or even raise my feelings if just for maybe a brief period of time. The only thing that will is following Christ and relying on Him for my needs/wants/desires everything!
Plus I'm thinking about our voter's meeting on Sunday too, yet I'll not delve into that subject again.
May Jesus give me and you His strength, mercy, peace, joy, hope and anything else you or I need today and everyday as we walk through life.
*waves from Barnes & Noble from the capital city*
Have a good one everyone.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Here Comes Trouble
Hello everyone,
Today's service was ok yet, not one of our best here at church. I myself did not arrive on time to help run the computer plus there was something wrong audio wise. It sounded muffled and things were "too hot" from what I heard plus what some told me. Hopefully we'll be able to figure out what happened and resolve the issue by Sunday.
Our annual voter's meeting is coming up on Sunday and I must admit I'm not entirely looking forward to it. One of the agenda items deals with adding a stage to our gym. As I stated in one of my previous posts, there are those who are against it while others are for it. Both have good points on either side which in the end makes it even harder to come to a conclusion about which side to support. I'm concerned that it will not go smoothly and cause tension for various members of the congregation. I don't think people will "put up their barricades" and have a split between people. I just hope people come and are respectful of people's thoughts and viewpoints. In the past things have not gone smoothly yet, I'm hoping and praying this meeting sets a new level for everyone.
One thing that this stage issue deals with is change and it reminds me of where in Luke Jesus cures a demoniac of many demons. The people all went and asked him to leave beacause (as The Message translation puts it) "Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared." I'm sure that some in our congregation are scared about putting a stage onto our gym plus others might think that we are just moving to quick forward with more changes.
The key issue is that we must be listening for and asking God's insight into this matter. I am going to be praying all this week up to Sunday and asking God to give myself as well as others the insight and wisdom plus if this new stage is in His will and plan for us.
That's about it for now; it is currently raining here at the church. I must admit it is neat watching thunderstorms especially the lighting in the sky at night. Pretty and fun though when I'm driving in such conditions, not so much.
Have a good one everyone.
Today's service was ok yet, not one of our best here at church. I myself did not arrive on time to help run the computer plus there was something wrong audio wise. It sounded muffled and things were "too hot" from what I heard plus what some told me. Hopefully we'll be able to figure out what happened and resolve the issue by Sunday.
Our annual voter's meeting is coming up on Sunday and I must admit I'm not entirely looking forward to it. One of the agenda items deals with adding a stage to our gym. As I stated in one of my previous posts, there are those who are against it while others are for it. Both have good points on either side which in the end makes it even harder to come to a conclusion about which side to support. I'm concerned that it will not go smoothly and cause tension for various members of the congregation. I don't think people will "put up their barricades" and have a split between people. I just hope people come and are respectful of people's thoughts and viewpoints. In the past things have not gone smoothly yet, I'm hoping and praying this meeting sets a new level for everyone.
One thing that this stage issue deals with is change and it reminds me of where in Luke Jesus cures a demoniac of many demons. The people all went and asked him to leave beacause (as The Message translation puts it) "Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared." I'm sure that some in our congregation are scared about putting a stage onto our gym plus others might think that we are just moving to quick forward with more changes.
The key issue is that we must be listening for and asking God's insight into this matter. I am going to be praying all this week up to Sunday and asking God to give myself as well as others the insight and wisdom plus if this new stage is in His will and plan for us.
That's about it for now; it is currently raining here at the church. I must admit it is neat watching thunderstorms especially the lighting in the sky at night. Pretty and fun though when I'm driving in such conditions, not so much.
Have a good one everyone.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Thoughts & Escaping Reality
Hello eveyrone,
I hope you enjoyed your extra day off this weekend; I myself did though worked on lots of various projects on Monday. I'm still recovering from it today with a slight sunburn plus my muscles saying "Ow!" Anyways, onto my thoughts about escaping reality.
Today I got into church a bit late and spoke with some fellow staff members about various things. I picked up the "bug" as I sometimes call it. It's a rather nasty one that makes ya think about various issues, people, life etc. It's one that just makes ya feel sorta blah and tired of things. So, I'm now sorta doing the same thing my fellow staff members were/are doing. I haven't gotten to the church work stuff just yet and am trying to escape reality (hence the name of the post).
I escape reality though various ways: one might be just talking with a friend or hanging out in town or a different one i.e. East Lansing, Chicago (when I am able to go there). Another is to hop online and play Guild Wars. I might just go on a long drive around the winding roads with the windows down just cruising along.
The weather plays a role into this thing too. It's nice out which results in my not wanting to work on projects or church work. I'd rather be swimming in some cool water or on a boat out on the lake maybe even water-skiing who knows. Plus just staring out the window at times and letting my mind wander is another way.
How do you escape reality? Reading, watching TV, or a favorite hobby? I hope its not through some of the worse ways of escaping i.e drugs or alcohol.
Have a good rest of the week everyone.
I hope you enjoyed your extra day off this weekend; I myself did though worked on lots of various projects on Monday. I'm still recovering from it today with a slight sunburn plus my muscles saying "Ow!" Anyways, onto my thoughts about escaping reality.
Today I got into church a bit late and spoke with some fellow staff members about various things. I picked up the "bug" as I sometimes call it. It's a rather nasty one that makes ya think about various issues, people, life etc. It's one that just makes ya feel sorta blah and tired of things. So, I'm now sorta doing the same thing my fellow staff members were/are doing. I haven't gotten to the church work stuff just yet and am trying to escape reality (hence the name of the post).
I escape reality though various ways: one might be just talking with a friend or hanging out in town or a different one i.e. East Lansing, Chicago (when I am able to go there). Another is to hop online and play Guild Wars. I might just go on a long drive around the winding roads with the windows down just cruising along.
The weather plays a role into this thing too. It's nice out which results in my not wanting to work on projects or church work. I'd rather be swimming in some cool water or on a boat out on the lake maybe even water-skiing who knows. Plus just staring out the window at times and letting my mind wander is another way.
How do you escape reality? Reading, watching TV, or a favorite hobby? I hope its not through some of the worse ways of escaping i.e drugs or alcohol.
Have a good rest of the week everyone.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday Service & Thoughts
Hey there everyone,
Today's service went well; we had some plugs about the new kids program over the summer. There was a skit plus a PowerPoint with the kids as the main characters. Some small technical things, but nothing super major. No explosions or nothing so that's a good thing. :)
My wandering thoughts are on a different matter today. It has to deal with the RAC expansion and what all that entails. Some have already voiced that they will not support the endeavor whereas others are for it. I wonder if we as a church are doing the right thing since there's resistance to this project. I'm under the assumption that when one is doing the right thing and it's what God wants there would be attacks from the devil trying to stop whatever it is. I'm not saying that the devil takes a vacation and doesn't attack us when we are doing something wrong, just that when it is the right thing he steps it up a notch. I plan to support this project and here's my thought on the issue: if God really doesn't want it to happen He will stop it. Granted we could do the project even if God didn't want us as a church doing it; I'd say in that case various things would be more difficult than normal.
People on both sides of the issue have valid reasons and I'm not "knocking" them whatsoever. I want the project to have God's blessing and if we as a church aren't supposed to do it, I'm asking the Lord to let us know. I foresee this project possibly causing some tension between people and the church as a whole. I hope it doesn't get "ugly" in the next few weeks before the voters meeting.
Lord give us insight and wisdom in this matter. May we have one mind in this issue and do what you would have us do.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Today's service went well; we had some plugs about the new kids program over the summer. There was a skit plus a PowerPoint with the kids as the main characters. Some small technical things, but nothing super major. No explosions or nothing so that's a good thing. :)
My wandering thoughts are on a different matter today. It has to deal with the RAC expansion and what all that entails. Some have already voiced that they will not support the endeavor whereas others are for it. I wonder if we as a church are doing the right thing since there's resistance to this project. I'm under the assumption that when one is doing the right thing and it's what God wants there would be attacks from the devil trying to stop whatever it is. I'm not saying that the devil takes a vacation and doesn't attack us when we are doing something wrong, just that when it is the right thing he steps it up a notch. I plan to support this project and here's my thought on the issue: if God really doesn't want it to happen He will stop it. Granted we could do the project even if God didn't want us as a church doing it; I'd say in that case various things would be more difficult than normal.
People on both sides of the issue have valid reasons and I'm not "knocking" them whatsoever. I want the project to have God's blessing and if we as a church aren't supposed to do it, I'm asking the Lord to let us know. I foresee this project possibly causing some tension between people and the church as a whole. I hope it doesn't get "ugly" in the next few weeks before the voters meeting.
Lord give us insight and wisdom in this matter. May we have one mind in this issue and do what you would have us do.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Just Thoughts
Greetings again friends,
I wonder about many a things at times probably too much. I had a thought today while in the shower and it deals with being lukewarm. The water was lukewarm and I sure didn't like that at all. I (plus the rest of you) would probably have wanted hot water or cold water (if you were hot and running a temperature). It reminded me of the verse in Revelation 3:16 where God says that if you're lukewarm you'll be spit out. The Message states it this way: "You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit." Rather disgusting eh? I'd sure say so. I know that at the present time my walk with the Lord isn't as good as it could nor should be, I'm working on that. How's your walk going?
Another thing today was that I'm currently listening to a CD and when they "hit the wall." I'll admit it, I've done that or as I like to say have hit the wall yet, kept going forward through about 5 more. I'm not implying I'm going to crash and burn (I sincerely hope that doesn't happen) nor am I the perfect leader of the Media Teams. I'm struggling with some things in all three realms: personal, spiritual, and physical. I'm human just like you all are. So, I'd appreciate your prayers please. Thanks.
I'm still here at church and to be honest I don't quite know why I'm still here. I'm sure I could be doing something more productive or fixing some computer issue somewhere. I must admit I'm rather fortunate this summer. There really isn't anything big going on plus now that I'm off until the fall when college starts again, I have more time to ponder and think about things. That friends is a blessing which I'm sure most of you don't have or if you do have it, it's seldom and far between.
I'm fighting friends, and that's no joke. I'm fighting for things in church it seems like at times plus my rag which I dropped on Sunday. There were a lot of things that "made up" my rag this past Sunday one being my past. Ahh crap I'm reminiscing, can't go there......*shakes head* I've moved beyond that....
I do remember that one individual held onto the rag they had until after the service, placing it on the cross before this person left. I get teary-eyed and just... I dunno thinking about that.....hits a heartstring yet not as powerful as earlier in the week. I tell ya one thing, I've gone back to some of my old "stuff" I'll call it, *laughs* I even did that on Monday. Monday of all days after the great experience on Sunday!!!! *shakes head*
I'll admit I'm a bit worried about Sunday, my gut says that "we" (as a church) will go back to the "usual" way of doing things. I sure hope that doesn't happen; I pray I'll be able to do my part to help change things into something different or move things in a different direction than before.
Lord, may all the words I've typed above and what's in my heart... I had it over to You. Bless those who came on Sunday and myself. Help us all to be better followers of You and do what You would have us do. Thanks for being there Abba (Father).
I wonder about many a things at times probably too much. I had a thought today while in the shower and it deals with being lukewarm. The water was lukewarm and I sure didn't like that at all. I (plus the rest of you) would probably have wanted hot water or cold water (if you were hot and running a temperature). It reminded me of the verse in Revelation 3:16 where God says that if you're lukewarm you'll be spit out. The Message states it this way: "You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit." Rather disgusting eh? I'd sure say so. I know that at the present time my walk with the Lord isn't as good as it could nor should be, I'm working on that. How's your walk going?
Another thing today was that I'm currently listening to a CD and when they "hit the wall." I'll admit it, I've done that or as I like to say have hit the wall yet, kept going forward through about 5 more. I'm not implying I'm going to crash and burn (I sincerely hope that doesn't happen) nor am I the perfect leader of the Media Teams. I'm struggling with some things in all three realms: personal, spiritual, and physical. I'm human just like you all are. So, I'd appreciate your prayers please. Thanks.
I'm still here at church and to be honest I don't quite know why I'm still here. I'm sure I could be doing something more productive or fixing some computer issue somewhere. I must admit I'm rather fortunate this summer. There really isn't anything big going on plus now that I'm off until the fall when college starts again, I have more time to ponder and think about things. That friends is a blessing which I'm sure most of you don't have or if you do have it, it's seldom and far between.
I'm fighting friends, and that's no joke. I'm fighting for things in church it seems like at times plus my rag which I dropped on Sunday. There were a lot of things that "made up" my rag this past Sunday one being my past. Ahh crap I'm reminiscing, can't go there......*shakes head* I've moved beyond that....
I do remember that one individual held onto the rag they had until after the service, placing it on the cross before this person left. I get teary-eyed and just... I dunno thinking about that.....hits a heartstring yet not as powerful as earlier in the week. I tell ya one thing, I've gone back to some of my old "stuff" I'll call it, *laughs* I even did that on Monday. Monday of all days after the great experience on Sunday!!!! *shakes head*
I'll admit I'm a bit worried about Sunday, my gut says that "we" (as a church) will go back to the "usual" way of doing things. I sure hope that doesn't happen; I pray I'll be able to do my part to help change things into something different or move things in a different direction than before.
Lord, may all the words I've typed above and what's in my heart... I had it over to You. Bless those who came on Sunday and myself. Help us all to be better followers of You and do what You would have us do. Thanks for being there Abba (Father).
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Frustrations
See the title? That's how I'm feeling at the moment. Just some stuff in regards to church have hit a chord in me. Ugh! Yeah, I've talked to the Lord and told Him how I'm feeling etc. That still doesn't mean I'm all good now. I think it's just a matter of being tired plus thinking to much probably. I think I'll take a bit of my own advice and frag some people/stuff online. It helps; trust me I'm a certified Dr with an MD in PFSG. That stands for plays/frags stuff in games. I did that the other night/morning with tanks, battleships, planes, nukes, and a powerful gunship. Had a friend over so him, my brother, and myself playing a game called Supreme Commander. It's a RTS (Real Time Strategy Game); lots of good fun. Oh! I just had a thought: use video games at church to help bring people in. I can picture a lot of guys & gals at church duking it out over a LAN (Local Area Netowrk) on Hoth with Stormtroopers taking out the Rebels in Star Wars: Battlefront II. That's also a fun game too. Plus the Wings are losing 3-0 vs. Anaheim. Hopefully they'll get their game together. Anyways, just rambling as usual. Take it easy everyone.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
New Features
Hello friends,
I just recently added two things to my blog: the ability to add it to any feed reader plus e-mail updates. Just click the orange icon on the right hand side of the page and select the program that you use. For e-mail updates just click the link on the right hand side of the page and follow the prompts. Subscription updates will arrive in your inbox between 7-9 AM daily. You won't receive any spam either when you subscribe.
Oh, if you see a post you like and want to leave a comment, just click the word comment at the end of a post then follow the prompts.
Enjoy everyone! :)
(Wrote on BlackBerry)
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Monday, May 21, 2007
Special Sunday Service/ Something Different
(Wrote on BlackBerry 8800)
Greetings everyone!
It has been awhile since my last post, yet I now have time to keep up on my blog more during the summer. Anyways, onto this week's topic: Sunday.
We had a special service at our church that focused on Repentance and Renewal. I've been kicking around what all occurred plus what I took away from it. One thing that struck me while I was having dinner at McAlister's Deli was environment/mood. Here this restaurant is a deli; it has green colors, great food, and various nick-knacks on the walls. It all helps set theme/mood/environment that says: "Hey, you're in a deli." Its better than Panera, that's for sure. More food plus it tastes better too. I had the McAlister's Club on wheat bread with bakes lays chips, a big chocolate chip cookie and a diet. Oh plus a pickle and a little mint too for after you finish eating. Yum! Ok, back to Sunday and theme/mood. We changed the format compared to our usual services plus stuck with white text on a black background for everything we used on the screen except for the last song. Plus moved the altar onto the stage and used dimmer lighting than usual. All those different aspects help set the mood and tone. That's one of the key things that we sometimes do at my church yet, not every time. I hope that I'll be able to change that as we move forward. Another point in regards to Sunday, what did you personally take away from it? Do you need to walk closer with the Lord? Do you need to forgive someone that you haven't? Do you need to (not forget) but move on from your past and let that go? The last one is one thing that I gave up and am working on doing in my life. Just because I'm on staff or in charge of the computers doesn't mean that I'm doing well in life or exempt from things. If you'd like, drop me a comment below to share your thoughts, comments, and what you took away from this past Sunday. I pray that the Lord would help you and me in our walks and what occurred this past Sunday, whatever that means, looks like, or something that we have to do.
Some other notes: at staff meeting today we discussed blogs and everyone thought that was a good idea. Keep an eye out for some new blogs from the rest of the staff to pop up sometime down the road. Plus in both services keep an eye out for some slight, small changes from the "usual." Have a good rest of the week! :)
JB
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Q and A Session
Hello again everyone,
I must admit today has been a rather long and busy day. Have I accomplished something along the way? Yes, I'd say I have and hope you did too today. At the present moment in time I just am pondering about what's next for my church. Where are we going? Will things change for the better? What exactly am I supposed to do or not do during this time? Am I following the direction I'm supposed too in keeping the PCs and other tech stuff running? It's just one of those things where I'd love to go up to God with some questions, ask them, and get some answers. Have you ever felt like that? What questions would you ask Him? How do you'd think He'd respond? All I can do is just pray and ask the Lord to show me the way and if that's not where I'm supposed to be, let me know so I can change.
Another thing that's a bit off topic: today is Ash Wednesday. What did you do to today? Did you attend church if you're a believer? If not did you do anything at all or nor what today represents? Today for believers it is the beginning of the Lenten season where we follow Jesus along to the cross, his death, and finally His resurrection on Easter Sunday. A long journey to say the least; part of the journey is some have decided to give up something during this time period. It might range from not watching TV to chocolate to not playing games on the Internet. Have I decided on what I'm going to give up? Yes and know. I have already done some "pruning" as it where before Lent started today, so I'm not entirely sure what exactly I could give up to remember and focus my attention on Christ during this Lenten season. If you have any suggestions, please drop me a comment. I'd love to hear from ya. :)
That's it for now and until next time: keep on plugging away at this big thing we call life. Blessings! :)
I must admit today has been a rather long and busy day. Have I accomplished something along the way? Yes, I'd say I have and hope you did too today. At the present moment in time I just am pondering about what's next for my church. Where are we going? Will things change for the better? What exactly am I supposed to do or not do during this time? Am I following the direction I'm supposed too in keeping the PCs and other tech stuff running? It's just one of those things where I'd love to go up to God with some questions, ask them, and get some answers. Have you ever felt like that? What questions would you ask Him? How do you'd think He'd respond? All I can do is just pray and ask the Lord to show me the way and if that's not where I'm supposed to be, let me know so I can change.
Another thing that's a bit off topic: today is Ash Wednesday. What did you do to today? Did you attend church if you're a believer? If not did you do anything at all or nor what today represents? Today for believers it is the beginning of the Lenten season where we follow Jesus along to the cross, his death, and finally His resurrection on Easter Sunday. A long journey to say the least; part of the journey is some have decided to give up something during this time period. It might range from not watching TV to chocolate to not playing games on the Internet. Have I decided on what I'm going to give up? Yes and know. I have already done some "pruning" as it where before Lent started today, so I'm not entirely sure what exactly I could give up to remember and focus my attention on Christ during this Lenten season. If you have any suggestions, please drop me a comment. I'd love to hear from ya. :)
That's it for now and until next time: keep on plugging away at this big thing we call life. Blessings! :)
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Prayer Helps
Photo Link: http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/5d/images.art.com/images/-/Danny-Hahlbolm/Power-of-Prayer--C10109500.jpeg
Hello everyone,
Yes it has been awhile since I last posted; busy just as you all are. I must admit overall church life is not easy ever moreso if you're on staff. Granted, the sun is shining and it is somewhat warm (21 degrees F) though inside it is different. It occurred to me today that I had not prayed about some of the issues, challenges, stuff I'm currently facing. I did and the result? I'm not up to "full par" just yet, though I feel a tad better. It's amazing on how we can contact God no matter where we are located or what we are doing. He's there 24/7 which is awesome. If you are feeling funny or just "blah" pray about it; let God know what you're facing. Have a great week everyone! :)
PS I'm going to work on updating my blog at least every 2 weeks or sooner as time permits. Blessings.
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