If you've been following Jeff's blog at www.elementinsider.blogspot.com you know we had a huge Memorial Day weekend. There are many things I could write about the weekend but there is something I HAVE to post.
The idea for a 'gas buy down' was given to us about a year ago at church-plant boot camp. Since that time it was something we thought about, talked about, prayed about, etc. As time went by we decided to "go for it". So......the leg work started. We targeted possible locations, chose a date, printed a flyer, made phone calls, talked to people, made more phone calls. Finally the location and date were secured. Then there was more work to be done. The media and law enforcement were contacted, more on-site planning, more phone calls made, more details to work out. Then...
Well then the day arrived and it was awesome and crazy and fun all mixed together. The day was a busy one for me because I also worked before and after the event. So it was pretty much a day of constant on-the-go from sunup to sundown. Not alot of time to think just act. Then the next morning this thought hit me HARD.
All the planning, praying, talking,working, calling, and preparing and the event could have been a total bust with out the AWESOME group of volunteers. There is no way we could have pulled this off with just the pastoral staff, we HAD to have volunteers.
This was my FIRST event on this side of ministry,my first event as part of a pastoral staff. God had to provide volunteers, and boy did He ever. So if your reading this and you were one, THANK YOU!
When you hear a leader of a ministry thank his volunteers and tell them that they are an answer to prayer that is exactly what they are. People that are willing to serve ARE an answer to prayer. So again, thank you for being obedient. Thank you for freely giving of your time. Thank you for helping us serve the people of Cheyenne. God uses volunteers just like you every day to do His kingdom work.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
What I learned from a tabloid
Walking by the tabloids in the grocery store the other day, a thought struck me. President Bush graced the cover of the most famous(or should I say infamous)tabloid for the umpteenth time. Here's the thought: If Pres. Bush spent all of his time defending himself every time someone through garbage at him, he wouldn't have any time to run the country. If he let all the junk constantly distact him he would lose his effectiveness. If he spent all, or most, of his time worrying about his critics he wouldn't have time for anything else. OK, get my point?
So what about you and me?
That same week I had a week where I got my fair share of garbage thrown at me. So how am I going to react? How are you? The ONLY way to never have any critics, to never get any insults thrown your way, is to do absolutely NOTHING. If your trying to accomplish anything at all, especially if it's for God, you ARE going to have your critics. I believe the difference is in how you choose to react.
Peter is one of my heroes. Ya I know he stuck his foot in his mouth, ALOT. And I've heard alot of preachers bash him over the years. But I tend to look at things a little differently. Let's look at the famous Bible story of when Jesus walked on water. Who was willing to get out of the boat? Peter. What were the other disciples doing? They were in the boat too. But Peter was the ONLY one brave enough step out on faith. Ya I know he sunk, I know he 'failed'. But I don't think he did. Did Peter have his ctritics? Absolutley. Still does. But at least he was doing something. At least he was chasing after God.
So again, what about us? God has been working HUGE in my life when it comes to being able to seperate the valid and invalid criticism. Proverbs says that only a fool will not accept criticism. But also it is foolish to waste your productive time on non-productive things. So where's the balance? Good question.
So what about you and me?
That same week I had a week where I got my fair share of garbage thrown at me. So how am I going to react? How are you? The ONLY way to never have any critics, to never get any insults thrown your way, is to do absolutely NOTHING. If your trying to accomplish anything at all, especially if it's for God, you ARE going to have your critics. I believe the difference is in how you choose to react.
Peter is one of my heroes. Ya I know he stuck his foot in his mouth, ALOT. And I've heard alot of preachers bash him over the years. But I tend to look at things a little differently. Let's look at the famous Bible story of when Jesus walked on water. Who was willing to get out of the boat? Peter. What were the other disciples doing? They were in the boat too. But Peter was the ONLY one brave enough step out on faith. Ya I know he sunk, I know he 'failed'. But I don't think he did. Did Peter have his ctritics? Absolutley. Still does. But at least he was doing something. At least he was chasing after God.
So again, what about us? God has been working HUGE in my life when it comes to being able to seperate the valid and invalid criticism. Proverbs says that only a fool will not accept criticism. But also it is foolish to waste your productive time on non-productive things. So where's the balance? Good question.
It all started
A recent conversation with Jeff sparked a chain of thoughts in my brain. We were talking about the 'timeline' of events that led to God calling me to be part of the Element Church plant team, more specificaly the people that God used in the process. And maybe that's my point. I know that it is God who prepares the heart and it is God who makes the call but I also KNOW that God uses ordinary people like me and you in the lives of other people. I could fill up pages talking about 'divine appointments' in my life and how they changed me. Some,maybe most, of the time I didn't realize that that was what was happening, other times were crystal clear.
Which then leads me to my main point or should I say my main question. When did all this start? It would be easy to say this all started when I got saved or when my wife got saved or when I accepted my first 'role' in the church or when....... and so on. Though I can point to specific events and how huge those were in my life, I think it all started before that.
Now is the moment I could overstate the obvious and say that it all started in Genesis 1, or even before that. While that is certainly true, that is not my point. (yes, I actually have a point)
I would say that for me it all started with both of my wife's Grandmas. I don't know when either of them became Christians. But I know that when they became parents they prayed for their kids and I KNOW that they prayed for their grandkids. I know they prayed for Terri Lynn. I know they prayed for me. I know they both love the Lord with all their heart.
So I guess for me this all started about 60 to 70 years ago. What about you? Who prayed for you? How easy it is to give up, to stop praying, to lose hope, to become impatient with people and with God.
A friend of mine recently shared a personal story with me. He was talking with his Dad on the eve of his Dad's baptism. (the father had gotten saved much later in life) Anyway, my friend's Dad told my friend that he KNEW that one of the reasons that he had gotten saved and then baptized was because his son had been praying for him for 25 years. WOW.
So what's your story. How long have people been praying for you? How long have you been praying for someone? NEVER give up. Please. There's people like me that will be eternally grateful.
Man I love God.
Grant
Which then leads me to my main point or should I say my main question. When did all this start? It would be easy to say this all started when I got saved or when my wife got saved or when I accepted my first 'role' in the church or when....... and so on. Though I can point to specific events and how huge those were in my life, I think it all started before that.
Now is the moment I could overstate the obvious and say that it all started in Genesis 1, or even before that. While that is certainly true, that is not my point. (yes, I actually have a point)
I would say that for me it all started with both of my wife's Grandmas. I don't know when either of them became Christians. But I know that when they became parents they prayed for their kids and I KNOW that they prayed for their grandkids. I know they prayed for Terri Lynn. I know they prayed for me. I know they both love the Lord with all their heart.
So I guess for me this all started about 60 to 70 years ago. What about you? Who prayed for you? How easy it is to give up, to stop praying, to lose hope, to become impatient with people and with God.
A friend of mine recently shared a personal story with me. He was talking with his Dad on the eve of his Dad's baptism. (the father had gotten saved much later in life) Anyway, my friend's Dad told my friend that he KNEW that one of the reasons that he had gotten saved and then baptized was because his son had been praying for him for 25 years. WOW.
So what's your story. How long have people been praying for you? How long have you been praying for someone? NEVER give up. Please. There's people like me that will be eternally grateful.
Man I love God.
Grant
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
So I woke up this morning thinking I would try to write something profound about and to mothers. Then... well then I decided to read what someone else wrote and decided I couldn't say it any better than that.(if you want to, go to www.perrynoble.com and read what he wrote about moms) So... to all you Moms out there Happy Mother's Day and God bless you all for ALL you do.
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