Teamwork

 What a milestone!!! Tonight we expanded our leadership team in Pittsfield by two. We want to welcome Darin East and Dennis Will to our deacon fellowship. It is exciting to see this ministry grow. I am reminded once again that God desires to use us all for His glory.

Pittsfield Leaders

Death Bed Regrets

From The Top Five Regrets of the Dying : A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish I had let myself be happier.

"Stepping Up" Night # 1

Next Wednesday at 7:00

Circling Up

Full House

Catacombs No More

Seven Rooms into One

Check Out the Beams

Steve Wollbrink on a ladder

Christmas Eve 2013

Pre-Service 

Praise Team

Full House

Post Service

Protect Yourself with Gratitude

My dad is a beekeeper. It seems kind of funny to say that, but it is so like him to try something new and different. Along the way, family members have been educated by him in the discipline of beekeeping. We have been talking about gratitude at Columbus Road recently and a powerful illustration emerged from my recent beekeeping classes with dad.

On Thanksgiving, dad showed me his beekeeper outfit. I even TRIED IT ON. The suit covers the beekeepers entire body from head to toe. It is an outfit that keeps the bees from stinging the keeper while he or she works with the hive to maintain it. It dawned on me that there is a picture of how life happens in relation to bees and the keeper.

The bee stings in life come in the form of broken relationships, loss of jobs, isolation, conflict with people around us, and discontentment with our circumstances. The beekeeper's outfit represents prayer. The scriptures (Colossians 4:2) make it clear that gratitude protects us from the enemies of our lives.

It says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. " We see three simple admonitions in this verse. First we are to devote ourselves to prayer. This is simply explained. Run everything in your life past God all the time before acting or thinking about it on your own. This is obviously easier said than done.

The second thing we are to do is stay alert. Be cautious, active, and give strict attention to the circumstances that surround you. This is sometimes where we don't completely cover ourselves, and "bam"... we get stung. The best way to avoid those moments is by applying the third point. Always have an attitude of thanksgiving. We are protected from the stings when we chose the proper attitude. Gratitude is that protective covering when life happens in a way that is not favorable (or appears to be unfavorable).

Richard Baxter said this, "When men accustom themselves to have ten words or twenty of confession and petition for one of thanksgiving, and ten thoughts of sins and wants, and troubles, for the one of mercies, they starve thankfulness and turn it away."

It may be time to check to see if you have your protective outfit on. If you don't, watch out! The stings are on their way!

Gratitude is Essential for Happiness

Stuck

Have you ever been stuck? I am not talking about being stuck in a ditch or at an airport. I am talking about being stuck in what to do next...how to proceed with a project or a vision. I have been stuck for a little bit. I have been asking myself, "How can I take this to the next level?"

I have been racking my brain with questions, attempting to figure it out. Questions like: Why am I stuck? (which was not helpful); How can I get unstuck? (that didn't help either); When am I gonna get unstuck? (even worse yet...made it more painful); Who can help me get unstuck? (I couldn't think of anyone.)

Then it happened... and now I am unstuck.

How did this happen? When did this happen? Who helped me get unstuck? Here are my answers; they might just help you.

1. I needed the time to think through why I was stuck. This required some time away from the every day routine and busyness of life. I needed time to gather information, talk to others, and think through the stuckness.
2. I needed to remember key factors that played into my stuckness. My usual surroundings and routine weren't providing solutions. I reflected on my passions, gifts and abilities. I surveyed how I was using them, and the ways that I was not. Others shaped and affirmed my thinking through general conversations, without even knowing that they where helping me move forward.
3. I began to dream again. It is sometimes hard to dream when you are too busy and the next thing is on top of you. To sit and plan...to prepare and work at something that "could be"...is refreshing. 
4. Beginning the process of what-is-next takes a first step. For me, it required others to dream with. I realized a long time ago that "we" can do more. Taking the first step has already begun with an action plan, and with a goal (vision) in mind.

Are you stuck? If so, you may find a starting point to becoming unstuck by looking over these four steps. 

Parody Of Our Modern Church Service .....Too Funny

Why We Do What We Do and How to Change It

I read a lot...I mean a lot. I try not to read only books about church stuff and theology. If you have ever noticed my Shelfari bookshelf, you'll see that I am all over the map with my interests. Most of the time, a book will capture my interest in the first three or four chapters, but by the time chapter five rolls around, I'm ready to put it down.

I recently have been reading a book that a friend recommended (thanks Stephen). It is entitled The Power of Habit. It is subtitled "Why We Do What We Do and How to Change It". I have not been able to put this book down. I find myself wanting to get back to the next page each time I put the silly thing down. It has amazing stories interwoven into the premious of the book. The stories are the cords that pull the book together neatly and logically.

I am not going to tell you the details of  book, nor am I going to give a review. I would simply say that this book is for those who have bad habits or habitually find themselves in the same place they don't like over and over again. I continually hear people say, "I don't like my... body, job, school, relationships, church, husband, wife, life, kids, spiritual journey..."

If you find yourself on the crazy wheel time and time again, you may want check this book out.

Take Time for Friends

If you want to know why there are two smiling fellows in the picture, it won't take much to figure it out. Mike Roux has taught me more about fishing and hunting in a short nine years than most learn in a lifetime. I would be the first to say that any success that I have in the sport would be to his credit.

We had an opportunity to get together last Thursday evening for a quick fishing trip. Mike moved to Springfield last winter and our time together has been limited. I couldn't wait to catch up on his life. From the minute I got into the truck until I got out, we were talking, making plans, and catching up.

I've missed Mike and wanted to make the most of the evening. Mike can flat out get it done in the field and on the water, but I have a way of making each time interesting for him. We like competing, yet I am the one who sets the rules. I find a way of winning every time no matter how well he does. Tonight was not an exception.

I decided that the first to hook a fish would be the winner tonight. I had no idea what was about to happen. As soon as we got into the water I cast, and bammmm!!! I hit a monster. She came out of the water and shook off my lure. We knew that the night had some amazing potential.We tend to have amazing success together and this was the start of a night to remember.

Two casts later, I got the first fish into the boat. I won!! And couple of minutes later I got the second one in the boat. Mike started to catch a few fish. We proceeded to catch twenty-five small mouth bass in a short two hours. It averaged out to catching a fish every six minutes. That is a great time for anyone on the water! Mike ended up destroying me with the size of his fish. He ended up catching three four-pound-plus bass for the night.

We were so excited to be together, having a blast blowing up lines with fish. Hunting and fishing is fun, but there is nothing like experiencing life with someone else. Make sure you take the time to spend quality time with your friends, living life together.

Ecclesiastes 4:21 says,"And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."