Grace is gathering at the Ministry Center this coming Tuesday August 11 @6:30 for an evening of prayer for our church, our community, the ministry of Christ and the needs of one another.
NOTE: changed from Monday to Tuesday due to scheduling conflict. So, mark it down, plan on TUESDAY night! All are welcome, bring the family, all the kids, any and all that would like to take some time to pray with us.
Last week I spoke on prayer @Grace. This coming Monday, August 10th, I’m asking the Grace family to gather at the Ministry Center at 6:30 for a special night of prayer. We’ll be praying for the church, the beginning of school, for the sick, for the financial challenges and for God’s favor on us as we serve Him and know Him!
Seriously, I have a few things to groan about. So, naturally I’ve been in groan mode for a bit. But now the list is getting longer and the groaning is turning to laughter. I wonder why? I wonder if it’s God’s way of getting me to Stop It! Stop complaining, stop pouting.
Humor me by letting me therapeutically write this out. You may find something familiar in your own story today.
You ever have those times when everything is breaking, like all at once, or at least in one long continual stream of events? I’m almost afraid to go anywhere, because something will break.
Here’s my list that makes me laugh:
1. First day of travel to California: ipod quits working. Like in one instant, it’s playing, but no sound.
2. Within first hour of travel to Tucson, CD player quits working. It reads: “see dealer”.
3. Within first 10 minutes of leaving Tucson (3pm, mid-July, 100+) a/c goes out.
4. An hour before company arrives, toilet breaks, leaks to a constant running.
5. Company arrives, screen door falls off. Like on top of them.
6. For the past two Mondays, I have to spend way too much time on IT stuff to figure out how to get my computer properly working with office server. Why?
7. Truck odometer reads the multi-hundreds-of-dollars maintenance is due (in man-talk that means over-due)
8. Because one car is in shop getting a/c fixed, I ride my bike only to get a flat tire on way home.
9. After a nice walk home I’m welcomed with an old medical bill sent with an apology, but with a huge balance due.
10. This morning, power window switch quits working in truck.
11. Now at my office the barking dog next door is relentlessly crying for someone’s attention. Next door means right on the other side of my 4inch wall. Directly.
You see why I’m laughing? Partly because the list grows everyday, but mostly because as I ponder this little list I realize none of this matters. Like really, not one bit. It all has to be dealt with, but really nothing on this list is of significant loss.
1. ipod? Big deal. We have radio. We can drive in quiet and talk if we want
2. cd player? Big deal. We have radio. We have quiet time. Still stuff to talk about.
3. a/c? Okay, very inconvienient, but once we get out of the dreaded desert, we do live where a/c is mostly optional. We still can drive home in a nice car. We can have the windows down (every man’s dream). Not so quiet. No talking.
4. Toilet? We have two. (Odd Bonus: company came and fixed toilet!)
5. Screen door? We actually own a house. Close the door or buy a flyswatter.
6. IT? At least I have a good computer. Working through the server is always optional.
7. Truck maintenance? Really who believes those books anyway? It’s all a scam to get you to spend too much money. Runs fine. For now.
8. I own a nice bike.
9. I live where I can walk home in July and love every minute of it. I have insurance that covered most (apparently not as “most” as I hoped) of a medical procedure in a clean, modern hospital.
10. Power windows? Are you kidding me? I have 3 other windows in my truck that open. Three. I’m spoiled.
11. Dogs eventually leave the vets and go home.
What a fun list. Your list may not be quite as easy. You may be going through stuff that really does matter. My list ranges from a .50 cent fuse to a few thousand dollars of bills and repairs. Whether your list is laughable or seriously causing pain, let’s choose not to complain, but bring our stuff (great and small) before a loving God and trust Him with the ‘why’ of right now.
I’m not lying…the dog just quit barking. Things are already looking up!
Have a great day. Regardless.
During our long weekend away, we’ve had a great time in California. Thanks to a very sweet new friend, Helen, we were able to enjoy Disneyland on Friday with my sister’s family. They have what’s called a park hopper where you can go back and forth from Disneyland to California Adventure. Perhaps it will take a forthcoming post to review our time at Disneyland.
We also had something of a church hopper pass where we visited 3 different churches during our brief stay. Each church is doing an amazing job for their community. There were some similarities with the churches we went to, and some definite differences. Yet, I walked away from each thankful to God for what they are doing for the coming Kingdom. These people love Jesus, have a commitment to God’s amazing Word, and are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading within their church and community.
As much as I miss being at home with my family at Grace, it was a great experience worshipping alongside other churches while on our brief vacation. There are things I learn, ideas I pick up, and ways I see God working beyond my own familiarity. Isn’t God good? Thank you Lord for the ways you use your people to honor You!
And now for that drive from the ocean, across the desert to our mountain home.
Just a reminder, you can hear sermons from Grace online at http://www.allaboutgrace.com Go there and listen to this past Sunday: Three Stories. Sermon by Zac Smith. Amazing. I apologize but somehow the link between our site and itunes isn’t working, but you can listen from the site or maybe download on mp3, just not itunes.
I believe it was the Friday just before Mother’s Day when Zac went in for a colonoscopy. That day he learned that he had a lemon-sized tumor. The next morning they did surgery and it wasn’t long before he learned the cancer was at a stage four status. There are only four stages.
I remember learning of the news by talking with my brother Jim, (Zac’s dad) and wept on the phone realizing this wasn’t going to be the news any of us wanted to hear. Immediately I began to mourn for my nephew. I couldn’t believe my 32 year old nephew had cancer. I remember a few days later getting a phone call from Zac. Just seeing his name on my cell phone seemed to affect me. It seemed surreal to be talking to a young man I know well and love much, yet feeling so helpless. There’s nothing to say, nothing to fix, simply being on the phone was going to be good enough. And it was.
Zac has served us all well by sharing his thoughts via his blog. He’s allowed us to read the journey as he is experiencing it. I would think it would be very easy to become very private and secluded, whether in sorrow, self pity or overwhelmed thoughts of the brevity of life. I can’t imagine all that Zac is experiencing, but I’m grateful that he is sharing parts of the story with us. On the side of this blog, you can find a link to his blog. Go and read it.
This Sunday, Zac will be speaking at Grace. This is huge. Zac is an excellent teacher, preacher, and thinker. Whatever you can do to be at Grace this week, it’ll be worth the effort. I’m trusting God for an amazing time together learning of the marvelous and amazing grace of God as seen and experienced through this young man’s life. We start at 10. For my Grace peeps, let’s be praying now for God’s Spirit to minister in a special way this Sunday.
Hope all are having a safe and happy celebration! Last night we saw a different angle on Flagstaff by walking the crowded streets of the First Friday Art Walk. Today, we enjoyed the pancake breakfast put on by the American Legion, just prior to the annual parade.
What’s the 4th without grilling something? Today was a simple burger with my favorite topping – jalepenos, chased by my almost favorite store-bought cookies.
I think there’s apple pie later!
If you’re anywhere near Flagstaff, tomorrow will be a highlight at Grace. We have 7 missionaries all from Grace sharing what God is doing in their particular ministries. I’m so glad they’re here! Hope you can come, if not, we hope to have something online early next week.
Thank you Lord, for the United States. And thank you that we get to be a part of the larger world outside these borders. Blessings. PM
As part of a program through Thomas Nelson Publishers, I get to review books. Here’s my first installment:
The Noticer, by Andy Andrews
Engaging, entertaining, and especially…encouraging. The definition for encouraging is “to inspire with courage”. In his book, The Noticer, Andy Andrews tells his personal story in such a way as to inspire with courage. The fun part of the book is determining where his personal story leaves off and a good dose of fiction kicks in. The old man that found Andrews under the pier that day was named “Jones, not Mr. Jones”. Jones pops in and out of town throughout the story each time bringing hope to hopeless situations. The beauty of the book is not that he brings anything new, he simply brings perspective.
What an enjoyable ‘summer-time’ read. As Jones offers practical insight and perspective to the young wanderer, the reader feels as though his own questions might be answered. Secretly we all would love to have Jones come and offer insight that we have missed. In life, we need others to help us see what we can no longer see. Like many characters in the storyline, we find ourselves in situations that we never planned and without any hints that change is even possible. Perspective is wisdom with eyes. It’s good to have another set of eyes looking on our story. Get the book, read the stories. Find some perspective.
I love Sundays @ Grace. Someone has said the church is not measured by the seats in the auditorium but by those sent out. This coming Sunday July 5th, we’ll be hearing from some of our very own missionaries sent out by Grace. Each of them serve with Network of International Christian Schools. (http://www.nics.org/)
Charity LaMertha and Molly Evans serve in Indonesia and Scot and Kristen Byrd serve in South Korea. These four will be telling their stories, which is in fact a story of God’s grace in the lives of those ‘zealous for good works’ (Titus 2:14).
The following Thursday, July 9th, we’ll have a special gathering at the Ministry Center with Jason and Tami Rogers, our missionaries to Nicaragua. (http://rogersinnicaragua.com/) In a more intimate setting, we’ll learn of God’s great work of grace through their ministry.
The next Sunday, July 12, I’m honored to have my nephew Zac Smith as my guest. (http://www.hello-righton.com/) Last week, I shared a little of Zac’s story. Later this week I’ll add more here about his life with cancer.
Each of these guests are amazing examples of God’s grace in obeying His call and “devoting themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8)
Several weeks ago I threw a challenge out to our church family to memorize a block of verses in Titus 2. To my amazement, several have taken up the challenge and are making it happen. One guy walked into church this past Sunday carrying his written out verse reminding me how hard it is to memorize “at our age”. This morning one of our young ones rattled of all 4 verses in record time.
I love how kids memorize. They get the words, and I’m pretty sure they get the meaning. But the best thing is, it’s in their minds. Remember Romans 12:1,2? The much needed transformation of life takes place as our minds are renewed. To memorize and meditate on God’s Sacred Writings is perhaps the best way to renew your mind. Here’s a verse you can memorize if you haven’t already.
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Ps 119:11 ESV
This little girl today is way ahead of the curve. Sure she said it real fast, and she might have a hard time defining some of the big words, but it’s in there. It’s in her mind, a mind that is being renewed. And if it’s in her mind, it’s in her heart.
It’s not too late to take up the challenge. Memorize Titus 2:11-14. Soon, I’ll pass on the next verse to work on.
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