Snow Issues

What a paradox. I love to look at snow fall, but hate to shovel it. I love to look at icicles hanging on the tree but hate to drive over it. No doubt my skepticism of what snow could be in Virginia got shattered this weekend. I moved here from Colorado and nothing has come close to a snow storm in the last four years until this last weekend.

When we get stuck, we learn to redeem time. We caught up some as family, played a few games and attempting to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We also had some nice time to reflect on the joy of Christmas. Seriously disappointed to miss the Sunday service and postpone the Christmastime musical. I know that there is a plan and that God can use our shuffling of events and timing to make good things happen.

As I sat and watched my two oldest in their choir concert this past Thursday I had a real moment of reflection as the both looked so nice in a tux and dress. Once again time is moving at a speed that I cannot stop. Except for that choir concert - 22 songs. My daughter in the 1st group and my son in the final one so I got all 22.

Enjoy Christmas everyone - redeem time, reflect, and remember the important things in life.

Peace

Jay

Growing is good

I love that my kids are growing and maturing. A part of me also hates it. I hate that I am aging and finding out about weight, ear hair, baldness and you get the idea. But one thing that I love is that I can still find a freshness in my walk with Christ.

I have to celebrate some of what God has done lately. Not in any real material ways, but in some spiritual awakening. I have always struggled to slow down. Right now I am in a season of go - go-go. I struggle with the idea of solitude. Yet - that is what I am finding in the midst of all the noise. I am recognizing that God is a big God and I will let him be that. That the clutter of our days can never match the wonder of who God is. If you really try you can find it.

So my encouragement to all of you today is find little moments to celebrate who God is. It might just change your life.

Be blessed today

J

The Big Picture of God's plan

I know that I am a human, emotional, small, being on this large planet. I get caught up in the day to day, the mundane, the pace, the tasks, the issues, the toil, and the needs that everyday life can bring. Yet all that said, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I therefore have a job to do that is the most important one on the earth. It is my job a Christian, not pastor, that should motivate my daily living.

Each day means a new opportunity to share the grace, love and mercy of Christ to another. What an incredible thing to know that God uses people to show the love, mercy, and grace of God. Read I Pet 4:10 and you will see that God uses people and many times in places we would least expect it.

So there you go - God's living breathing plan is not the institution of church but the organism of Christians. It is the basis of how most of us came to faith in Christ - another person shared, displayed, gave. My urging to you today is not to allow the distractions of life cloud your mind. YOU have a divine purpose....Show the Love of Christ and dispense, steward, manage, administer God's grace. Very cool....So seize the day and it's God opportunities.

J

God is moving

Wow - there is no doubt that God is still doing miracles. The miracle of salvation, the miracle of life change, the miracle of relationships. I have to admit that in the midst of a busy life you can grow dependent on self. You can see your abilities and begin to lost your dependence on God. To lost dependence is to lose trust. It is to lose faith.

We would never admit a faith crisis, but ask this question. Am I relying on God in my daily living. In other word have we relegated our spirituality to an off and on switch. Or how about an emotional switch. I needed a freshness that I got from our past few weeks. At Horizons we saw many people come and receive a compass as we talked about a one degree of change and that new path. To many to count. Then this past Sunday we had the spontaneous Baptism with 18 new Baptisms and 7 planned ones for a total of 25. It was so cool to hear the authenticity of testimonies from those being Baptized.

It reminded me that I need to be aware of God's presence and that He always does more and goes bigger than I believed. (I was praying for 6 people to Baptize). My encouragement to you dear reader is "Walk by faith, not by sight" and know that God is real, and ever present we just have to slow down to see it.

Little Things

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about the Degree of Difference. Just one degree of effort could radically change your world. How true is that? I think it is becoming more and more evident with each passing day. As I get a bit older, a bit wiser, a bit grayer, I can look around me and see the extra degree people.

The extra degree effect is big, but it can take some time. For instance if you start saving just a little today and tomorrow it may not be huge a month from now, but what about five years at that pace.

Take that thought and invest it into a relationship, a spiritual discipline, or a health move. You get the idea, that little things mean a lot, a whole lot over time! So with this knowledge what should we do? Make the decision and take the action of one more degree. Today, make the change of course, thesubtle but oh so powerful decision to act. Do it now, seriously, do it right now. You will thank me in the future.

blessings

Jay

The Degree works

We are about two weeks into our latest series that got inspiration from the fact that water is hot at 211 degrees but that it boils at 212. The challenge is before us all to be a people that will go the extra degree in some facet of our spiritual journey.

I, being a relational person, believe that the extra degree could go a long ways in our relationships. I love this challenge that I wrote about in my previous post, Who are you investing into? That degree can go along way in making your relationship work for the better.

I hope you all experienced the joy that we shared as a congregation in praying for Vienna and taking a picture with her traveling bear "Yek Vun". This bear is gathering pictures, stories, and words of encouragement for Vienna. What a marvelous ideas started by someone that wanted to make a difference in someones life. The extra degree works. Just consider how many of you felt as we shared about this story this past Sunday. Now time for you to go to work and put in that little extra to make it work.

Blessings to all and thank God it is really fall.

Jay

We Value it We Invest into it

Christa (my rocking wife) had a dentist appointment the other day to have a tooth filled. No big deal. However in the process discovered that her tooth had a crack in it and that a ROOT CANAL may be necessary. She was advised to come back if any pain occurred o Ir hot or cold.

That night she battled with pain. She was restless and sleepless and woke up with a need to go to the Dentist. I merely eluded to insurance, cost, and timing to be included into consideration. Her quick comment to me was... I don't care what it costs - I need pain relief.

We all put our physical health and well being as a premium. So the question is what if we all learned to invest ourselves the same way into our spiritual well being. Here is what I am saying. If you value it; then you invest into it. You invest time, money, energy. Sometimes that investment is sacrificial because you believe in it so much. Remember Jesus said in Matt 6 that we should "Seek first the Kingdom".

So as a new season begins what will you be investing into.. The things you value. So that really begs the question..what do you value. Set your heart on things above.

Jay