Two Great Thinkers

Enough Seen!

Oops! For SCC - 11-26-06 Share the Goods

This is a little late. OK, a lot late.

Sunday was fun and that one song, holy something, was sweet to my ears side stage and I know to the ears of God as people raised their hands and sang to God. Thanks GLARE. Share the goods. You guys are good sharers. The bags are growing in number. Compassion International is growing. Cards are being sent. Invites are being given. State Missions giving is on the rise. Sharing the goods. Thanks Gabes for helping us be thankful.

"A generous person will prosper, he who refreshes will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

FYI: Clean those dancin' shoes off. Spirit of Norfolk is near.

Ethos

To much to write. I type way to slow.

Creativity. Uniqueness. Christ. People. Passion. Healthy.

Prayer

Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.

E. M. Bounds

Matthew 1:18-25

18-19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
20-23While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
24-25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

Leadership

Check out www.awakenhumanity.com and go to Ethos. I will be there with Jon Trude and others 11.27.06 - 11.29.06. Looking forward to a good time and new leadership insight.

Post Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day was a good one. It ws good to sleep in until 7:00 AM. You know you are in mid-life crisis when sleeping in is 7:00 AM and while driving you pretend your minivan is a sleek sportscar or a bright yellow Hummer chromed out. We spoke with relatives via the phone and spent time with some fellow ministers and new friends at their home. We did have a young Coastie come by our house and keep us up late (10:00 PM) while playing video games with our teenage son. Competition is fun even on Thanksgiving Day. Psalm 100 was on my mind throughout Thaksgiving Day. I needed to keep my mind on the Word of God because I can go south really quick if not careful. Thank God for His Word.

Subject Change: How about those Cowboys. Keep it goin'. Christmas lights are going up around the area. Good stuff. As we move into the month of December may we keep in mind "Immanuel". Take a look at Matthew 1:23 in the Bible.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a great Thanksgiving Day and weekend.

Go Cowboys

Cowboys over the Colts. Ye Haw!!! My son and I enjoyed the game together. Screamin', yellin', Hoopin an' a Hoolerin'. Yu bet yur rerend Ima Cowboy fan.

Footnote: I grew up in North Texas and have been a Dallas Cowboy fan since I was in my mother's womb. She's a fan. My dad is a fan in Heaven. My family had great times watching the Cowboys in our family room. Good memories. There was a short time in my teen life that I dipped Copenhagen because of Walt Garrison.

Hmmm

The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts … nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.

H. W. Westermayer

For SCC - 11.19.06 My Bag Is Full

What are you thankful for? Thanks for participating in "Thanksgiving Lane" this past Sunday. As you share with others from your thankful heart it touches their lives and moves them closer to God. May our water cooler conversations be seasoned with gratitude this week.

Thanks to Steve Gabriele, Marcus Dulin, Ruth Nethery and GLARE for leading us to remember that our bags are full. Thanks to those who serve in the Children's Ministry and Student Ministry. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This past Sunday The stage looked great with bags full of groceries. Thanks for bringing in the goods. We have moved close to the halfway mark of meeting our goal for the items to be given to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. Way to go. As you are buying groceries this week for Thanksgiving Day please spend a few extra dollars and purchase a few more items for the Foodbank.

Steve Gabriele brought a good word to us about "Our Bags Being Full". As we move very close to Thanksgiving Day may we keep in mind "Full Bags". Share your cookies this week. Be the "1 out of the 10". Look up Luke 17:11-19 in the Bible. Be the 1. Good stuff.

Dear God, Help me count my blessings. Help me approach you with a thankful heart. Continue to bring restoration. I often see my cup half-empty. I do not want that view or perspective. I desire to live in gratitude and grace. Thanks for leading me down the path of thanks. help me to follow.

FYI: Keep in mind the Season of Compassion. Purchase you pre-ordered T's. Looking forward to the Spirit of Norfolk.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Philippians 4:6 Found in the Bible

Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him. Colossians 3:17 Found in the Bible

Hmmm

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

For SCC - Forget 11.12.06

Very cool, powerful and original song by Jon and John this past Sunday. Forgiven is a grand thing. Thanks GLARE for helping us encounter God in and through music. Keep in mind and heart that if Jerry holds on to a grudge or harbours unforgiveness towards John, Jerry is hurting himself. Get more candy. Make that phone call. Forgive and Forget. Let it go. Disregard. Move on in life. Forgiveness: Something we all want and something we should all give. Forgivenss. When you and I live it in our relationships they are more enjoyable, fun, strong, healthy, and open. To err is human, to forgive is Divine.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. ~Lewis B. Smedes

I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. ~Henry Ward Beecher

FYI. Season of Compassion. Bring in the canned goods and cash, and send out those cards. Spirit of Norfolk on 12.10.06. Thanks to Cherisa for putting this together. Make your payment.

Psalm 130: A little about God's forgiveness

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 130 found in the Bible

Fuggetaboudit: Anonymous Comment

Comments are welcome and encourage me and others to think, pray, ponder, etc. With that said or written. After some thought, reading, quick research and questions to peers and others there does not appear to be exceptions to forgiving others. Forgiveness breeds health. Unforgiveness the opposite. God's forgivness is beautiful. May we seek to live in beauty.

For SCC - Fuggetaboudit

The two week series we started Sunday, 11.5.06 is "Forgiveness: Something we all want and something we all should give". Sunday we looked at Matthew 18:21-35 and discovered that God's forgiveness of us is huge, no mammoth. We also learned that God wants us to be forgiving in our relationships with one another. God is into restoration and reconciliation. He wants us to have healthy relationships. Forgiveness helps us live in restoration and experience healthy relationships. Fact: We have all needed to receive a little forgiveness at one time or another in our relationships. Fact: We should all be willing to forgive others in our relationships. We desire strong, fun, enjoyable, accountable, and healthy relationships. We need strong, fun, enjoyable, accountable, and healthy relationships. Forgiveness. Forgiveness. Forgiveness.

Forgiveness breeds strong, fun, enjoyable, accountable, and healthy relationships.

So, this week when someone causes a little pain, Fuggetaboudit.

FYI. Send out those "Thanksgiving Cards". Pray and think about your part in Compassion International, The Food Bank, and giving financially to ministries located throughout Virginia during the Season of Compassion.

Prayer

Wait on God 'til you know you have met Him; prayer will then become so different.

Andrew Murray

Give Thanks

November is here. Thanksgiving day draws near. During the month of November begin a new habit even before the new year begins. Develop the habit or discipline of being thankful. During the times that your mind does all of its wandering focus in on being thankful and giving thanks. Give thanks for family members, especially those who do not live near you. Give thanks for dishwashers, remotes, washing machines, dryers, hot water heaters, canned goods, cruncy peanut butter, Lays Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ chips (God, forgive me), fruit (God redeems). Give thanks for... You get the idea.