Grateful for snow - by Suzie Unruh

I know it sounds crazy, but I woke up this morning Grateful to see snow. I was able to stand, I was able to make lunch for my children, I was able hear the running of feet down the hall as they jumped into bed to snuggle with me. I am grateful! I have friends who have lost children, friends whose children are too sick to get out of bed, friends that are in the hospital struggling and fighting to get back home. There are people in my own town that didn’t wake up warm, kids that won’t have dinner tonight, parents that want so desperately to being able to say that they had to drive to work in the snow and cold. Who am I to complain that it is still snowing during Spring. I am grateful that God has given me another day. Another day to rejoice for him, to laugh with my children, to go to work, and to make a difference. Tomorrow is never promised to any of us. So, today I will be grateful, even for snow.

Quest For Ultimate Manhood - by Justin Bowman

For those of you reading this who are friends with me on Facebook, you may have read my status updates over the years about my ‘Quest For Ultimate Manhood’ that I post from time to time.  Basically, being the handyman/jack-of-all-trades/guy-who-can-fix-anything person that I am not, whenever I do something I categorize as “manly,” I check it off of this imaginary list I’ve created.  Some of those items over the years have included: installing a new garbage disposal; replacing a thermostat; replacing a furnace blower motor; installing a new washer & dryer; or my newest “manly” accomplishment of installing shelves in an old closet. The list also includes a few fun things like: finishing a 50-mile ultra-marathon: recording a song and making a music video; coaching my sons’ basketball teams, and so on.  For those of you who may not know me personally, this list actually exists because I am a person who is super comfortable making fun of myself.  I fully understand I am a clumsy, goofy, uncoordinated man who is wrong most of the time, and falls short of something on a regular basis.  I have learned there are specific times when life is to be handled with the utmost level of importance, but generally speaking I tend to not put too much stock in taking myself seriously, and I think that has benefited me well so far.  I am a 34 year old college educated married father of three children, and when my car has an unexpected issue, the first person I call is still my dad. 

Updating this list has been something I get excited about whenever I realize I get to add a new item to it.  However, it has caused me to rethink what this whole notion of ‘Ultimate Manhood’ truly is.  Don’t get me wrong, I started this list out of the pure entertainment of letting people know all the things I’m not skilled at, not that I think any of them actually make someone a true man.  That being said, I’ve pondered whether it’s being able to fix anything with just a few tools, understanding the madness under the hood of a car, being a high ranking executive within a successful company, being awesome at every major sport…or if it’s got anything to do with any of those at all. 

Of the experienced men God has placed in my path of life, when I think about where they fall on the scale of manliness, it has nothing to do with these measures.  There have been many men in my life who have helped me grow and mature over the years.  When thinking about my lasting memories of them, whether it be my dad, grandpa, youth leader in high school, teachers and coaches I really respected, etc., I have tons of memories of fun times spent together.  What I circle back to though, is how they made me feel as a person.  Those who had lasting impacts on me always left me with a feeling of being welcomed, respected, valued, and loved.  Not because of any knowledge or skills they had, but because of the way they treated me.  The men who had the biggest impact on my life had one thing in common that stands out, a strong foundation of faith in God.  I didn’t realize it then, but now that I’m older I can certainly connect the dots.  So I find myself asking, what is it that made these people such great men?  I think it falls back on one idea…they served the Lord.  Whether they acknowledged it or not, they were carrying out God’s will for their lives in areas such as how they treated people, what they let their lives be centered around, and how much time they spent with their families.  I find it hard to accept that a man can be measured by just one thing, but I believe if it came down to one simple measure, it would be serving the Lord.

Joshua 24:15 is displayed under a family portrait in my home.  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  In this passage Joshua is making the claim that he and his family will serve the Lord, as opposed to man-made idols that their forefathers served, as the Lord had proven his trustworthiness.  I had not thought about the magnitude of this verse hanging in my home until I was discussing this post with my wife last week.  I believe as men, we have the awesome opportunity to lead our households spiritually, and this task should not be taken lightly.  Choosing to put our pride aside, to be humble enough to know that our personal limitations can only hold us back from our true potential, and that we need the help of a Risen Savior to lead and guide us is a true test of toughness in my book. 

Achieving ultimate manhood may border on impossible, but I feel without surrendering our lives to the will of God, we will never even give ourselves the chance to begin the quest that lies ahead.  

Greatest Gift Of All - by Sue Campbell

This week, I was reading April’s Parenting Christian Kids newsletter we subscribe to from Group Publishing.  I started with the first article and had one of those “aha” moments.   You know, when the dots are connected in a different way than ever before.  I’ve heard the connection between Christmas and Easter many times and in many ways, but this time, it struck me in a fresh, new understanding. 

In the article, ‘Promise in the Emptiness,’ the writer says,

“Christmas has the tree, and the stable and, of course the Divine Infant.  These are all physical things we could touch, and understand.  But Easter is different.  In many ways, it’s about celebrating emptiness:  a missing person, unoccupied burial clothes, and a vacant tomb.  When you think about it, celebrating the emptiness is very different than celebrating the overflowing gifts and abundance we do at Christmas.”

With Christmas, we can’t wait to see what’s in that wrapped box under the tree.  We hope it’s the thing we’ve been wishing for – hoping for – wanting – expecting.  There’s supposed to be something special in that box.

But, what if that’s what happened at Easter too?  What if there was still something in that tomb?  That’s what the women who went there were expecting, that’s what Jesus’ friends and disciples were grieving over.  His cross was empty, but they didn’t expect that to be the case with his tomb.  But Praise God, it was! 

We often say that we receive the ‘greatest gift of all’ on Christmas morning – the birth of Jesus.  But, I’m not sure if that’s the case.  I’m thinking that we actually receive the greatest gift on Easter morning – when we receive the gift of the empty tomb.  At Christmas, we may or may not get what we we’re hoping, wanting, expecting in a gift box.  But at Easter, we always get what God promised – incredible, undeniable, earth-shaking HOPE – in the resurrection of our Savior.  It’s God’s for the giving and ours for the receiving. 

 

 

 

Good Teaching is Key - by Diane Lantzy

A frequent criticism leveled against ‘the church’ is that all ‘the church’ wants is your money.  I have heard that more times than I can count as I am sure you have too.  While the church can fulfill its mission only to the extent to which the church family is generous….this is not what a healthy church ‘wants’.  It wants to grow disciples who can help transform the world. 

And one of the ways that God wants all of us to grow is in our stewardship – whether it is of our time, talents, or finances.  But He considered our attitudes toward money so critical that money is mentioned more than any other topic in the Bible.   Unfortunately, many pastors shy away from teaching about this important topic because they don’t want to be accused of only talking about money…even if they only do it once or twice a year!  How sad for people in these church families who are denied this important teaching.  We all want to hear when we go to heaven…’well done, good and faithful servant.’  But how can we know what is expected if no one teaches us?

For that reason, we are so fortunate that Pastor Rod is willing to teach on this subject during his messages.  And I pray that when these messages are offered that we can all listen with open hearts and open minds.  I know that when I hear messages that convict me – as ones on finances often do – my first reaction is either defensive (this really doesn’t apply to me….right???) or avoidance (starting to make up that grocery list in my mind).  But neither of those reactions helps me to grow.  Instead, I need to listen, take some notes (I didn’t have to do that twenty years ago L) and spend some time meditating on what changes I can make that will be pleasing to God. 

The current teaching series “Core” addresses many important issues including Worship, on March 9th Extravagant Generosity on March 16^th, Discipleship on March 30^th and Service on April 6^th.

As a preacher, Pastor Rod understands that teaching on subjects that can sometimes be uncomfortable is an expectation that God has for him.  God’s expectation for us is that we listen with an open heart so that we can begin to discern what God’s will is for us.

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”  James 3:1