Chase the Lion

2 Samuel 23:20

This is a little known scripture in the Bible. It actually turns out to be quite the story. Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC has a lot of insight into this story. Watch Video

Now it has been turned into small group material. I suggest reading the book and then doing the study with your small group. Or do it with your older children. It's a great study!

I read this book, but I hear college students and high school students really enjoy it. I think it could be a great stocking stuffer (the book).

Everyone has a "Lion" to chase. What's yours?

New Book - Going All The Way

Craig Groeschel has written a new book, Going All The Way. This book is meant to help people prepare for a Godly marriage.

I've read two of his other books that were phenomenal. You should gift anyone you know preparing for marriage. I would also think it would be a great book for youth pastors or young adult pastors to read for counseling information.

Wearing Christianity on Your Sleeve

Last night Mike & I went to Wild Wings for dinner. We like to play trivia. I wish I could report that I beat him, but last night was his night. He won.

I had on my Hallowest Shirt and as we were leaving a girl approached us (she was very persistent) and told us that she was new in town, in a bad place and needed food. Could we go back into the restaurant or meet her at the convenience store and buy her some food? My first thoughts always are why did you leave where you were and come to a new place where you don't know anyone and can't get food? Did you leave the safety (or maybe unsafe) haven at your parents to find freedom and mooch off strangers? Or are you truly in this world alone and needing help from strangers?

We are three blocks from the shelter where they just served a meal. They don't let you in if you are high so it made me wonder. I don't want to perpetuate the homeless epidemic in Asheville; however, it was hard to say no. Also, knowing that on my back was our church name and website. But I honestly feel I do more with my money by giving it to our church to help ABCCM or by giving it to ABCCM than I do by giving it to someone on the street.

All I could think about was Francis Chan at Orange 2007 saying do we love our neighbors as ourselves Matthew 22:39 and will we get to heaven and be asked why we didn't feed Jesus? Matthew 25:40 John 21:15

Anyone any thoughts?

Challenge to Fathers

http://www.evotional.com/2007/10/three-challenges.html

Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC is on a year-long quest with his son Parker. In the link you will find some of his plans to disciple his son. It's so exciting to me when I hear about fathers taking an interest in not on the physical growth of their child, but also the intellectual and spiritual growth.

Father, thank you for the dads in our community. Let them see their children's spiritual growth as important. Give them tools to teach their children about You & Your son and the desire to draw their child into a growing relationship with You. Let them be lights to other fathers and let them have relationships with their children. Amen!

Parents are Clueless

One of the churches I follow for wisdom and tips (Newspring in Anderson, SC) is getting ready to do a parenting series on Sunday mornings. In doing so they put up bulletin boards around their county with a website www.parentsareclueless.com that gives students and parents the opportunity to anonymously write things either about their children or their parent. I started reading through the comments and I'm in tears. What children are going through, what parents feel, hopelessness, fear, anger, regret, and actually some thankfulness. It made me rethink my relationship with Brooklyn.

You might want to check it out.

Have a great rest of your weekend and I hope to see you tomorrow morning!

Modus Operandi

I just read a verse that rocked my world!

I Thesalonnians 2:8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

As we minister to children that is what we are doing. We love the children so much that we share our lives and the gospel with them.

I am honored to serve with a team where we care for one another.

Good news part 2

I won't pretend to ever think that we are past sin. We were created in God's image, but then Eve partook of the fruit (I would like to get her take on this now and can't wait to talk to her in Heaven). Obviously we are not sinless. We are creatures that have choice in a world full of sin. So how do we, claiming to be Christian, make the right choices and eliminate sin?

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

And how does grace play into this whole scenario? I guess I'm baffled at times that we serve such a loving heavenly Father and we continue to sin. One who gave His blood for my sin. I'm guilty. I sin. We all sin. We have an assurance of being saved from eternal wrath and have the hope of an eternity with Him in Heaven because of His sacrifice.

How do we serve an intangible God in a world filled with instant gratification and more importantly how do we lead others toward that life of accepting Christ and moving toward a growing relationship with Him? And how do we do this while remaining sinners.

Isn't that why the hypocrite statements abound? Many wear a tag that says I'm a Christian, I attend Down the Road Church, My stuff doesn't stink. Then we are seen by the unchurched as lowly sinners and how dare we invite them to church after what we have done. How do we lead others into a relationship when they see our sin?

I think the answer is complex. Sin will always be around as long as we live on Earth. We should go boldly before the throne to find mercy & grace. It's all about a relationship. We know we are sinners and need grace. He's our loving Heavenly Father and will give it when we ask. He was tempted, yet in His perfection He did not sin.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are,yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Father, today I come to You as a child with sin. Please take away the sin. Cast it into the sea of forgetfulness. Let Your grace and mercy wash over me. Allow me the opportunity to grow in relationship with You. And let me have opportunities to lead others into a growing relationship with You. Let them not see my flaws, but rather the hope that is found in relationship with You.

Good news

Well today Dr. Smith called and he said that the pathology came back good so I don't have to have any more surgery on the precancerous mole. Yeah.

So, I was thinking about this situation. First, I have a mole that looks a little bad, not too bad, but menacing. Then I find that after shaving it off it is actually worse than first thought so the Dr. removes a 1 inch margin and sews me back just to make sure it never comes back as cancer.

What about sin? That little sin. That sin of say eating too much or gossiping or lying. At first it's just a little white lie or overeating once. Then we feel guilty and try to quit. But the news comes back bad and we overeat. Or our friend gets mad at us and we call around telling anyone who will listen about the injustice.

So how do we create margin around sin so it quits growing and affecting our lives? Genesis 4:6-8 God tells Cain that sin wants to master us. How do we become the master? How do we overcome? Psalm 3: 3 states that God is a shield around us. So He creates the margin.

How do we totally remove sin in the first place at its roots?

How? More tomorrow...

Could you become a US Citizen today?

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California

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Mike & I celebrated our fifth anniversary in March. I had the stomach flu so I dined that night on grits. His mom was sick at the time so we decided to postpone a celebration until fall.

So on September 20 we got on a plane and headed to LA. Brooklyn was jealous that we were going to Hollywood. There were three highlights of the trip for me:

1. Watching DL practice with Mitch Kupchak, GM of the LA Lakers. Mike hung out with him at Carolina so we contacted him when we knew we were going and he graciously invited us over. It was fun getting to see their practice facility and some court action.
2. The VIP tour at Warner Brothers. I really wanted to do the five hour tour but it was sold out (next time!). So we did the 2.5 hour tour which was a lot of fun. It gave me some interesting ideas for props for CM.
3. Nine days with no responsibilities except turning on Garmin Girl as soon as we got in the car and making sure we had a few plans for each day.

Other interesting things: The beaches, the weather (it rained for the first time in 150 days while we were there), Venice Beach, Santa Monica...they were holding auditions for a new dance show while we were there and we weren't smart enough to realize it. There were so many stars there that we could have seen :(, Balboa Island, Wilma at Balboa Island, a 755 sq. ft. house for a mere $6million at Balboa Island, Laguna Beach, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive (calling Stephanie on Rodeo Drive), donut searches, San Juan Capistrano, walking the whole gas lamp district in San Diego and ending up eating at the place we started, Trader Joes (yummy), Garmin Girl - what would we have done without her and jet lag.

Thank you Mike for realizing how important it is for us to have quality time away. I had a great time. You are a wonderful husband.

Peace, Love & Vitamin C,

Tina

Great news

On a personal note thanks to those of you who have been praying for me. I had a wonderful vacation with Mike. I'm so glad to be home as I missed Brooklyn so much. I'll post some pictures and tell some stories later this week.

I went to the doctor this morning and she said the meds are controlling my Lupus. We had a great discussion and I think we have a game plan to do some long term controlling.

I went this afternoon and had my precancerous mole reexcised for margins. I have felt little pain. It's in a sore spot, but it will be fine after it heals.

Your prayers matter. Pray for the CM Team, pray for their health, safety and for their families. Pray for the CM Leadership Team as they help me make decisions. Pray for my family as we craft family time away from ministry time. And pray for me that I will be able to listen to God, hear when my family needs me and spend some me time occasionally.

Peace, Love & Vitamin C,

Tina