Hopeful Prayer

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Praying with a thankful, hopeful, and bold heart. The above prayer was written by the apostle Paul while he was on an extended vacation and enjoying the beaches of the Med. WRONG. The prayer was written from jail. Not a jail with A/C, ping pong and three nice meals a day. A jail that was not very sanitary, meals were not a given and neither was his next day. Yet, he writes with hope. How? v.6 above. Paul had confidence not in himself or in his circumstances, but in God. He knew God would complete the work He had begun. God is in Control. Really. God is in Control. God is working in you and He will complete the work. HOPE. God is moving in your family and He will complete the work. HOPE. God is moving in your job situation and He will complete the work. HOPE. God in working in your spiritual growth and He will complete the work. HOPE. God is working in your finances and He will complete the work. HOPE. God is moving. HOPE. Look again at v.6 above. Claim this verse for you, your family, your career, your finances, your faith walk. HOPE.

Hit the pause button in life today and HOPE for just a few seconds.

For SCC - 5-27-07 Raising Heavin Raisirs

On Sunday, May 27 we dreamed about "Raising Heaven Raisirs". Actually we did more than dream. Steve Gabriele put together three drama sketches that helped us see a heaven raisir who was 7, 15, and 40 years old. It was a pretty picture. It helped us see what a heaven raisir may look like in everyday life. "Raising Heaven Raisirs." If you are a parent, uncle, aunt, grandparent, step parent, foster parent, etc. you have the opportunity to raise heaven raisirs. What a thrill. What an opportunity. What if? What if we who are parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, step parents, foster parents developed a plan to raise heaven raisirs? What if we sought to raise up a whole generation that loved God, loved people, and served Jesus Christ. What if we prayed, planned, and prepared to raise children who are givers, respectful, honest, bold, fun, thankful, obedient, healthy emotionally and walk with God? Just imagine. What if? Well, if you are around children you have that opportunity and, "What if?", can become more of a reality if we will choose to practice the following.

One. Humble yourself before God. Place yourself and your life in God's hand. recognize that their is a God and you are not He or She. In humbling yourself before God you begin to recognize His blessings, you begin to understand that life is a gift, you gain insight into life, meaning, purpose and raising heaven raisirs.


Two. Be bold in your faith. Faith is the assurance of things asked for and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Live in hope. Place your faith in God and watch him begin to be and do wonderful things in your life and in the life of your children. Choose to live in faith in the good times and in the bad times. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Seek to please God by living in faith in your family life, financial life and work life. Please God by living in faith. Pray for your children. speak words of truth to your children. By faith raise heaven raisirs.


Three. Be what you want them Your children) to be. None of this, "Do what I say, not what I do." Instead. Be what I am showing and living for you. You want your children to obey. Then obey. You want your children to be honest. Be honest. You want your children to apologize when wrong. then apologize when wrong. You get the picture. Be what you want them to be. Be a heaven raisir. You ask, "What is a heaven raisir?" I answer, "What is a hell raiser?" You know. Now go opposite. Yeah, that's it. Let me help you out. A heaven raisir is caring, respectful, honest, fun, joyful, shares, is thankful, helps around the house, listens, is positive about life, .....

What if?

The various verses and passages used from the Bible: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5;
Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossains 3:20-21.

Birthday

The Nethery clan celebrated Dawson's 14th Birthday yesterday. We celebrated by saying Happy Birthday to him many times, giving cards and gifts, and eating at his place of choice, Chili's. He likes their rib's. His friends helped him celebrate by giving him their lunch money change to the total of $8.00. Pretty Cool. He stayed up late playing Call of Duty 3 on his playstaion and had a great time. Birthdays. Hope. Birthdays are fun unless you are a forty year old woman or man. Just Joking. Birthdays are a time of celebration. One friend celebrated his wife's B-day on May 22 by spending the day with her and hanging out while browsing and shopping in area malls and stores. She did not have to do a thing all day, but enjoy. Another guy I know recently had a 40th surprise party for his wife. It was awesome. Huge crowd. Great food and fun. Perfect gifts. Celebration. And she was SURPRISED. Birthdays are fun. Hope is fun. Hope is positive, sees opportunities, speaks encouraging words, gives live, and is a gift from God. HOPE. Birthdays are also a gift from God. Today, live in hope.

Alive

"That we are alive today is proof positive that God has someting for us to do today."

From the flip calendar in kitchen window.

Be alive.

Be in Christ.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Be joyful.

Be positive.

Be aware.

Be...

Do Live.

Do bless other.

Do honor God.

Do laugh.

Do encourage.

Do notice.

Do...

For SCC - 5-13-07 Moms, You Mattir!

This past Sunday we started a new series titled Meet The Imperfects. I'm imperfect, you're imperfect, we're all imperfect. This morning when you woke up and lookedinto your beautiful eyes in the mirror, you met imperfect face to face. I am aware that may be a hard pill to swallow, but it sure does lead to good health. We will have fun in may and June as we "Meet The Imperfects."

The Mother's Day service was great. Ladies, enjoy your flip quote book and give the extra one you may have received away to a friend or family member. Thanks to jenny Michonski for ordering the quote books and for putting together to gifts bafs we gave away to four mothers during the service. Sunrise has a great time giving to others. Moms, thanks for all that you give to your children and to society. Moms, you mattir. Your prayers mattir. Your help mattirs. Moms, be bold, it mattirs. You mattir. Your prayers are vital to the spiritual health and growth of your children and family. Offer those prayers. Your help and nuture mattirs. Your encouragement mattirs, your correction mattirs, your guidance mattirs. Moms be bold in truth and righteousness. If married, be bold in your love and honor towards your husband. Be bold in doiing the right thing and teaching your children to do the firght thing. Be bold in your passion for life. Be bold in living your dreams. Be bold and help your children live from there heart for God. Moms, you mattir. This week spend a few extra minutes petitioning god on bealf of your children. Evaluate how you are helping your childen grow in Christ and as a person and be bold in your wlak with God. So bold that it is evident who you follow in truth and grace.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Happy Day After Mother's Day

"There are not a lot of things moms do, they are just kinda there."
Dawson Nethery

Early. Happy Mother's Day

Ann Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.
In parts of the United States it is customary to plant tomatoes outdoors after mother's day (and not before.)
When Jarvis died, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, in the Andrews Methodist Episcopal (now United Methodist) Church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Grafton is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. The 1912 General Conference of The Methodist Episcopal Church, at the suggestion of delegates from Andrews M.E. Church, recognized Jarvis as the founder and advocated the celebration of the holiday. From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honour of those mothers whose sons had died in war. Nine years after the first official Mother's Day holiday, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become. Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. holidays.

Moms, We really do appreciate you. Happy Mother's Day.

Do you ever need one of these?

When negative words are about to come forth?

Even the negative can be seen and spoken as a positive with a little heart adjustment, head thinking and tongue taming. I know that I need the clothes pin at times, not for clothes but for my lips. Positive people, positive words, positive cash flow and positive. We like positive. Let's speak positive.

Hope. Heavy Stuff Man.

Look, I am making all things new.
Jesus Christ

This is taken from the Bible. Jesus speaking to people like you and me.

Growth. Heavy Stuff Man.

For most people it's not what they are that holds them back. It''s what they think they're not.
John Maxwell

This is taken from Becominig A Person of Influence by John Maxwell.

Purpose. Heavy Stuff Man.

...life is about lettiing God use you for his purposes, not you using him for your own purposes.
Rick Warren

This is taken from What On Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren

Desire. Heavy Stuff Man.

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.
Ben Stein

This is taken from Chapter 5 of Outrageous, Contagious Joy by Ed Young

Proseuchomai: To ask; pray

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:6-8 found in the Bible

Acts 2:42-47

41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
Acts 2:42-47 found in the Bible

For SCC - 5-6-07 The Church: A Wild Party - Reachig In: Community

Sunday was cool. Community is awesome. Real community is sweet. Being with people who care for you and desire the best for you is charging. Hangin' with the people of Sunrise is awesome, sweet and charging. As we worshipped through song during the service I had priveledge of being in the Dark Room with Jack Michonski and Barbie Hofler. They sing great. The three of us turned the Dark Room into a little space of huge worship as we lifted our hearts and voices to God as GLARE led us into God's presence. A wild party. Community. Charging.

Andrea Doane helped us understand community through her dramatic presentation of the phone calls from a friend. Steve Gabriele and the Set-up Team are definitely experiencing a wild party as they set up on Sunday mornings and develop a sense of community with one another and the new people who are joining the team. Community is a charge. A charge in life and for living.

As we reach up and worship God He will lead us to reach out and share with others and reach in to those we meet and begin to expereince community. Reaching in is about welcoming people, meeting new people, and partying together.

Community is a wild party. Community: to Love and Be Loved. To Know and to Be Known. To Serve and Be Served. To Celebrate and Be Celebrated. Community is about God, you and others. Community takes courage and commitment. By God's goodness may we keep the wild party going. Let's party.

NDP in Portsmouth, VA

I had the honor to attend a NDP gatheing a noon today in the City Hall Building of Portsmouth. The gathering was well done and the prayers stirring. The whole atmosphere created by the committee was excellent and welcoming. It was obvius that the people who planned the event and put time into the event wanted people to encounter an awesome God and enjoy meeting new people of common faith in Jesus Christ. Hats off to Deputy Chief Troy Tilley (who is a part of SCC and is loved by SCC even though he is a Redskin fan), the committee members who helped plan the event and Mary (Go Cowboys!!!) for moving us into the presense of God this early afternoon. May God answer as we call out. May we hear and obey as God answers.

PROSEUCHOMAI!!!

National Day of Prayer

Thursday, May 3, 2007 is National Day of Prayer in the U.S. May we spend time throughout the whole day in prayer for our nation. May we bless God. Take time to STP. Stop, Think, Pray. In your transitions STP. Go to www.ndptf.org for more information. It is a website worth your time.

Be Aware of God

Taken from Joel

The below is from Joel Osteen on 5-1-07. So true and good I wanted to post it. This is about hope. Forward is a word of hope.

Be Courageous

Today's Scripture
"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."(Joshua 1:9)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God says not to tremble or be dismayed by anything, because He is with you wherever you may go. That is such an encouragement, and it's absolutely true! You should be walking around in life without even the slightest amount of fear, because that is not the nature God gave you. You should refuse to be defeated by the things around you, even if they seem insurmountable. Perhaps one definition of courage might be staying strong and moving forward, even when most would give up and even surrender their ground to fear. Be strong and courageous today for God and do not allow yourself to be defeated by fear or the unknown!

A Prayer for Today
God, I want to live and serve You boldly without being crippled by fear. Make me strong and courageous in Your power to do what You want me to do. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Healthy Heart

There is no better exercise for strengthening the heart than reaching down and lifting up another.