There are lots of changes going on at the the Edmond Campus. Lots of contruction, lots of anticipation of what's going on and what it's going to look like. Lots of memories of what it used to be like. Why is change easy for some and harder for others?
When we first merged with LifeChurch 7 years ago, there were so many changes and so much negativity. We were involved in many areas and heard a lot of complaining. We chose as a family that we were not going to be involved with any of the negative complaining about the changes. We started serving at the OKC campus on Saturday nights. We never felt the division of the two churches because we were involved at both campuses.
They have begun contruction at the Edmond Campus. There have been several comments again about the changes. What did they do with the stain glass, why is worship so different, it's so sad the front lobby is gone....we have a lot of memories in the front lobby. I even had someone comment about the trees being taken out.
God reminded me of a verse that He showed me when we first merged. As I see the changes happening again and hearing the comments, I am going to remind myself of this verse.
Isaiah 43:18
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I'm doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
RESCUE MISSION
Last Friday, we went to the Rescue Mission. Robby is playing drums with the band. They lead a worship set and then they show a sermon from Craig, our Pastor. www.lifechurch.tv.
I was helping put out some extra chairs and one man who was sitting in the crowd ask if he could ask me a question. I said, "sure". Well, there were several questions. First, he asked what we were getting ready to do. I told him that we were going to do a worship service and then they would be showing a sermon from our church. He got a little agitated and told me we were doing it all wrong. I asked if he meant we should be doing the sermon first and then the worship. He said, "No! How many of them are up there are Christians?" I said, "I think probably all of them." He said that they were up there to be seen and it was all about them. I said, "no, I don't think so." He then proceeded to tell me that the Bible says to feed the hungry. He asked me, "how many homeless people have you fed today?" I said, "well"...and he said "see what I mean". I said, "well, there have been several times that I have." He then asked me how many God's do I think there are. I said, "one". He then asked, what about the God that the Muslims pray to?" I said that is not the One and Almighty God. They are false Gods. He said, "so you say there are other Gods!" He then got up and said, "I'm not staying in here to listen to this."
He quoted some things from the Bible, but then questioned that there were more than one God. I have thought about him several times this week and prayed that God would soften his heart and some day accept Jesus as his personal savior and that he would not be deceived any more. It really made me sad.
Every time that I have gone to the Rescue Mission before, the people who are there seem to be appreciative and want to have someone to care and listen to them.
I was helping put out some extra chairs and one man who was sitting in the crowd ask if he could ask me a question. I said, "sure". Well, there were several questions. First, he asked what we were getting ready to do. I told him that we were going to do a worship service and then they would be showing a sermon from our church. He got a little agitated and told me we were doing it all wrong. I asked if he meant we should be doing the sermon first and then the worship. He said, "No! How many of them are up there are Christians?" I said, "I think probably all of them." He said that they were up there to be seen and it was all about them. I said, "no, I don't think so." He then proceeded to tell me that the Bible says to feed the hungry. He asked me, "how many homeless people have you fed today?" I said, "well"...and he said "see what I mean". I said, "well, there have been several times that I have." He then asked me how many God's do I think there are. I said, "one". He then asked, what about the God that the Muslims pray to?" I said that is not the One and Almighty God. They are false Gods. He said, "so you say there are other Gods!" He then got up and said, "I'm not staying in here to listen to this."
He quoted some things from the Bible, but then questioned that there were more than one God. I have thought about him several times this week and prayed that God would soften his heart and some day accept Jesus as his personal savior and that he would not be deceived any more. It really made me sad.
Every time that I have gone to the Rescue Mission before, the people who are there seem to be appreciative and want to have someone to care and listen to them.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
TESTS
This has been a week of "testing" at our house. I've been giving 5th graders CRT's. Today we did the Social Studies part. I don't know how many of you have ever watched the show ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER, but I am definitely not smarter than a 5th grader in Social Studies, which includes history and government. I sure wouldn't have passed it.
Mandy has taken Calculus tests, AP Government tests and her ACT test this week. Robby took his 8th Grade Reading test today. To be able to drive at 16 you have to pass the 8th grade Reading test. He did pass it. Thinking about Robby driving is a little scary... :), but we are glad that he did pass it. Neither one of them would have had another chance to take the tests if they had not passed them the first time.
Aren't you thankful that God doesn't give us just one chance to pass the tests that we go through? I sure am. He lets us take the test as many times as we need to learn something that He is trying to teach us or making us into the person that He created us to be.
Mandy has taken Calculus tests, AP Government tests and her ACT test this week. Robby took his 8th Grade Reading test today. To be able to drive at 16 you have to pass the 8th grade Reading test. He did pass it. Thinking about Robby driving is a little scary... :), but we are glad that he did pass it. Neither one of them would have had another chance to take the tests if they had not passed them the first time.
Aren't you thankful that God doesn't give us just one chance to pass the tests that we go through? I sure am. He lets us take the test as many times as we need to learn something that He is trying to teach us or making us into the person that He created us to be.
Monday, April 14, 2008
THE LORD'S PRAYER & AMAZING GRACE
Go to the following link to see a 2 1/2 year old sing the LORD'S PRAYER and AMAZING GRACE. Too cute!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS93Q4jQAO0&feature=related.
Sorry, you will have to copy and paste the link into your browser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS93Q4jQAO0&feature=related.
Sorry, you will have to copy and paste the link into your browser.
SOMEONE SAID.....
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, 'normal' is history.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... somebody doesn't have two or more children.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
Somebody said a Mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... somebody isn't a mother.
I'm sure many of you moms out there can add to the list.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... somebody doesn't have two or more children.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
Somebody said a Mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... somebody isn't a mother.
I'm sure many of you moms out there can add to the list.
Monday, April 7, 2008
CHILDREN SAY THE FUNNIEST THINGS
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."
(2)
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing.
She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied,
"They will in a minute."
(3)
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother,
she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and
sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy, the oldest of a family, answered, "Thou shall not kill."
(4)
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor'."
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher,
she's dead."
(5)
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red
in the face."
"Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position, the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted,
"Cause your feet ain't empty."
(6)
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note,
and posted on the apple tray:
"Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."
(2)
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing.
She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied,
"They will in a minute."
(3)
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother,
she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and
sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy, the oldest of a family, answered, "Thou shall not kill."
(4)
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor'."
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher,
she's dead."
(5)
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red
in the face."
"Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position, the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted,
"Cause your feet ain't empty."
(6)
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note,
and posted on the apple tray:
"Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
Saturday, April 5, 2008
AMAZING GOD
I was listening to the song INDESCRIBABLE from Chris Tomlin this morning. At the end of the song, it says 'You know the depths of my heart, and You love me the same. You are amazing, God" I don't know about anyone else, but if you look in the depth of my heart most of the time, it's not too pretty. We do serve an amazing God!
FRIENDS
What would we do without friends? They are there to laugh with you, cry with you, pray with you, listen to you, and help you whenever you are in need.
There are two different kinds of friends. Those who listen to you and agree with you and take offense with you, and those who listen to you and may even agree with you, but are honest enough to tell you what you need to hear. I'm thankful for both kinds of friends.
What kind of friend are you most of the time?
There are two different kinds of friends. Those who listen to you and agree with you and take offense with you, and those who listen to you and may even agree with you, but are honest enough to tell you what you need to hear. I'm thankful for both kinds of friends.
What kind of friend are you most of the time?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
NEWBORNS
I went to the hospital today to see a new baby. There is something about a newborn. They are so precious and innocent and such a gift and blessing from God.
As I got off the elevator, I had several different emotions. I knew I was going to see a new healthy baby boy and was excited to see him. I also thought about Robby, our 15 year old, who seemed healthy and little did we know what we were going to be experiencing in the next 24 hours. He had a strep B infection and meningitis. I thought about a friend of ours who was dialated to a 5 and was put on complete bed rest for 12 weeks at the same hospital and the same floor and finally delivered 2 healthy boys. I also thought about the day that Steve's brother and sister-in-law lost their triplets on the same floor....thankful that she was okay, but so sad that we lost the triplets. My emotions were everywhere.
As we were leaving I told the other girls that I went with, that this floor can be the happiest of times or the saddest of times. I've experienced them both. We take life for granted. We need to stop and thank God for all of our blessings, even when life doesn't go as planned.
As I got off the elevator, I had several different emotions. I knew I was going to see a new healthy baby boy and was excited to see him. I also thought about Robby, our 15 year old, who seemed healthy and little did we know what we were going to be experiencing in the next 24 hours. He had a strep B infection and meningitis. I thought about a friend of ours who was dialated to a 5 and was put on complete bed rest for 12 weeks at the same hospital and the same floor and finally delivered 2 healthy boys. I also thought about the day that Steve's brother and sister-in-law lost their triplets on the same floor....thankful that she was okay, but so sad that we lost the triplets. My emotions were everywhere.
As we were leaving I told the other girls that I went with, that this floor can be the happiest of times or the saddest of times. I've experienced them both. We take life for granted. We need to stop and thank God for all of our blessings, even when life doesn't go as planned.
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