Conformed or Transformed?

About 10 weeks ago, we started a new youth program and children's program on Wednesday nights. Every week we have seen growth. It has been so fun to watch. We decided that we would do 6-8 weeks and then have a family night, where we play games and give the updates as to where we have been and where we are going. I hoped that it would generate outreach and excitement for what we are doing. Last night was our first Family Fun Night and WOW! Was I surprised! We made about 20 hotdogs, thinking that should be about enough. As we brought the hotdogs in, we looked around and realized that we needed to quick get on the ball and get some more hotdogs and buns, as people were pouring through the doors. When we did the count, 47 people were present....over DOUBLE what we were expecting. We only had around 40 on Sunday morning. What's exciting about all this, is that only about 1/3 of the people were regular attenders. Most of them were people who either don't attend or don...

Tonight was my LAST night of class. Not just for a semester, but for good. I have finished the ordination courses and just need to turn in my last set of supervised ministry papers and my ordination interview papers and I am completely done. I now can read a book because I want to read it and not because someone tells me what to read. It feels good to be done! Since I know that some of you will ask, my ordination should be on September 20, 2008 in Fremont, Michigan. If you want more details to attend, please email me and I would be glad to get them to you. Thank you to all of you who have supported me, encouraged me, prodded me, ect. in this journey. It has been incredible and I look forward to what God has in store for the next phase in this adventure.

It has been a really busy week and I have read Chapter 3, but haven't had a chance to post about it. When I got an email yesterday asking "Where is chapter 3?" I figured I had better get on that! I really appreciate those of you who faithfully read and comment. It encourages me to keep on sharing. Sometimes you wonder if what you have to say ever makes a hill of beans difference in anyone else's life. I pray that the words here on this blog will encourage and inspire your relationship with God in a new way. I know it hold me accountable to keep my relationship with God going strong. I pray that for all of us that we will "no longer be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds". So, on that note....chapter THREE!!! First, I realized that I haven't really shared with you what "chasing lions" is all about. Beneniah killed a lion in 2 Samuel 23:20-23 . I am sure it was one of the scariest moments of his life, yet the m...

We continue on today with highlights from chapter 2: 1. "God loves impossible odds.......Too often our prayers revolve around asking God to reduce the odds in our lives. We want everything in our favor. But maybe God wants to stack the odds against us so we can experience a mirile of divine proportions. Maybe faith is trusting God no matter how impossible the odds are. Maybe our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory." (Think of the example of Gideon in Judges 7 and the army too large. God widdled it down to 300 men and then has them fight the opposing army with trumpets and jars. They knew in the end that it HAD to be God and not them that made them win.) 2. "How you think about God will determine who you become.....and that internal picture of God determines how you see everything else......The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions will become." 3. "...

I bought this book a while back that I really wanted to read and I am just now getting to it. It has a crazy title, but upon reading chapter 1, you totally get it. It's based on 2 Samuel 23:20-23 where Benaiah killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The book is about facing your fears to take the risks of the opportunities that God has given us. Over the next few days as I read this book, I want to share some of the highlights, as already in chapter one I have been challenged. Here are a few challenges from chapter 1: 1. "God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time." 2. "I recognize this simple truth: The greatest opportunities were the scariest lions. Part of me has wanted to play it safe, but I've learned that taking no risks is the greatest risk of all." 3. "I think the church has fixated on sins of ...

This week is SPRING break for the kids. Not so spring-like, as we have a lot of snow yet, but they are off anyhow. My sister's kids, Cassandra and Theo are here this week as well, as their Mom is a teacher in a different school district than they attend and have different breaks. Cassandra is a year older than Olivia and Theo is a year younger, so they fit in well here. I am still watching my sister and brother in law's children like I do every week, but they are coming to my house this week. Frank is 4, Evelyn is 2 1/2 and Audrey is 1. So, at any given time, we can have up to SEVEN kids here! I might get a picture of them all tomorrow. It gets kinda crazy at times, but all in all, it is going well. I am just thankful that I am blessed to have a job that is flexible and that I can stay home with my own kids this week, as well as help my sister out. God is good.