Attractive

Jesus did more than hang out with tax collectors and sinners; He attracted them. Mark 2:15 says there were many of them (sinners) and they were following Jesus. Wow, how many times does this happen for me. Those who are sinners following me and wanting to hang out. It is another whole step from me just finding people and befriending them. It is actually being attractive in my words and lifestyle while maintaining the truth of my convictions. As followers, of Christ we were designed to go to the "sick" and the "sinners," and moreover, we are supposed to be so attractive that they are compelled to follow who we follow.

Have you lost your attraction? How do you get that back?

We got elfed!!

Thank you to our friend, Becca, for showing us this. We had a lot of fun!! Check out the Donaldson family as elves HERE.

Want to help a child in need?

It's Thanksgiving week, can you believe it? I have so much to be thankful for! I have a relationship with the Lord Jesus . I love my family to pieces. I have incredible friends. And, although we have been struggling a bit with finances- we have met ALL of our bills on time. You know, I don't think that we really know what "struggling" is! To me that means that we don't get to eat out (gasp) or buy things that we really don't need!

We are going to use this holiday season to GIVE any way we can to those that are REALLY struggling. Our church is collecting "lifepacks" to give to kids in need. There are so many parents out there that are trying to make ends meet. They want to give their children the world just like we do. We want to stand beside them and help them reach the needs of the kids in our communities.

So, if you want to help make a Lifepack, just click here. You won't regret it!

Most lifepacks will cost about $20-$25 to fill. Make a difference in a child's life! Do you REALLY need that CD or that I-pod this year???

Wisdom from a 5 yr. old (pt. 2)

Ok, so Ethan and his cousin were coloring today. He used red since it's his brothers favorite color. Then he couldn't decide which color to use next. His cousin recommended his favorite color blue. He replied "No, I'm trying to think of others before myself!".

I realize it was just coloring, but I had that little glimpse of knowing that he is listening when we teach "others first". This holiday season we are really trying to instill in them that it is more blessed to give than receive. It really is not about us in this life but what we do for others. If they can "get it", their lives will be so much better! Such a small thing brought a big smile to my face!

SICKO

Sicko......hmmmm, have you seen it? We watched it last night. Let me tell you, it really makes you think. It's pretty depressing actually. While our country is about making money, the other countries featured were about helping people. We are about taking, they were about giving. I realize that you can't believe everything you see, but the footage was sad. I can't remember which country, but they are actually given bonuses for how many people they help stop smoking, lower cholesterol, feel better. Isn't that incredible? I recommend everyone check this out. I know it might push some buttons in some people but I think it's a good thing to really examine where you stand on issues in the upcoming election.

Say Thanks to Our Troops

This is a very cool site that allows you to send a card to military personnel stationed overseas...for FREE! Whatever your stance on the war, we all support our troops. Send a card and spread the word.

http://www.letssaythanks.com

Walking a dog.....

WOW is all I can say. My online life group is going through "Believing God" by Beth Moore. I HAD to share with you a really good point I learned this week. Here are the words straight from Beth Moore:

" On many a walk with my dogs, I've asked God if his walking me is like my walking them. Do I keep trying my best to slip out of the leash without His noticing? Am I constantly trying to pull off the path and make God go where I want to go? Do I constantly chase rabbits? We have so many good ideas. The world is full of options. Each of us could name a dozen different things we'd really love to do with our lives.....sometimes all in the same day. We suffer from spiritual schizophrenia or at least a serious case of attention deficit disorder.We can not do a hundred things to the glory of God, but we can certainly do a few!"- Believing God

That pretty much sums up right where I am! I have been feeling a stirring lately that God has something BIG in store for me. Instead of continuing to seek Him, I tend to try and figure it out. I get so caught up in all the "things" I can do for Him that I tend to be stuck doing nothing because I can't decide which "thing" I should do first! It was a light bulb moment for me. I was babbling on about it to Brandon earlier and he listened very intently. He's the best! I just had to share it with all of you. BTW- if I do figure out what the ONE thing is that I should be doing, I will be sure and let you know:)

Friction Quote of the Day

Kites rise highest against the wind...not with it - Winston Churchill

We all have friction in our lives, but do we understand and embrace it's purpose or it's possibilities?

Thanks Jason for the great quote.

Meet Buckley's

I just had the most terrible tasting medicine in the world - Buckley's. Christi got a free bottle of this stuff, and she threw it aways because it smelled so potent. I dug it up believing it could not be that bad. Wow, this stuff smells horrid and tastes even worse. I love it!!

What I love about it is their slogan. "It tastes awful and it works." In fact I have just found out they have always done their whole marketing campaign around the incredibly bad taste. They even had a Bad Taste Tour in Canada with a contest for the best bad taste face.

If they are so honest about it tasting awful...one would deduce they are honest about it working! Brilliant! We can call it the Buckley's Principle. If Buckley's said nothing about the bad taste, people would not respond. But now they have a whole campaign around it. People know them by their bad taste. That subtle shift changes everything. Are there any perceived weaknesses you have that you could embrace? How could that change things?

'Live' Church on the web

I just read a post from Seth Godin called "What is the 'live' web?" With the increasing audience on the web and the increasing bandwith more "live" web opportunities are happening. We have had a 'live' church experience on the web at LifeChurch.tv for over a year now, and although you can catch the messages anytime after the live experience, there are many aspects of the 'live' experience you can only catch during one of our live broadcasts (Saturday 7pm CDT and Sunday 10 and 11:30am CDT). If you haven't tried out a 'live' experience, try it out this weekend to fully experience the Internet Campus.

Friends

John 15:13- Greater love hath no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends

I feel really burdened for a friend today. She had a medical emergency and is now in the hospital. My heart is literally aching for her and her family. She is going to be fine though (Praise God!). I started thinking about when Christ talks about "bearing one another's burdens". I then realized that His heart aches for us and our burdens as well. Oh, how much He loves us! I can intercede for her while Christ is interceding for her. Somehow in the midst of trials and troubles, it gives me such comfort to know that He is right here with us....bearing our burdens! We serve a great God!

I love my job

This last week Christi and I went to a marriage retreat with some other pastor couples. Most of the other couples were a part of the LifeChurch.tv Network. These are churches that are using the resources and messages from LifeChurch.tv. The cool thing is LifeChurch.tv puts this stuff out there for FREE! I know it is hard to believe but completely true. It is really a cool deal, and after this weekend, I cant' wait to see where God will take this.

Johnny and his wife Allison have started a church called TheBod.tv. It was launched in September in Roland, OK and is now close to 200 people. TheBod.tv is a LifeChurch.tv Network church. They are using live satellite feed from Lifechurch.tv each week. Well, this week Johnny and I talked about the church, the next steps of leadership, and how incredible God was moving. It is amazing to see. Incredible leaders are all over the place. Trust me, Johnny is one of those leaders, and now with some resources available and a kingdom mindset, Roland, OK and the surrounding region will never be the same.

Now on a personal level, Christi and I have truly made some new friends that inspire us with their passion and commitment to their community. They invited us down, but I don't think they realize that some fly fishing on the Illinois river, a Sunday at TheBod.tv, and some good cooking has now made it in the top of our to-do list.

Ready or not, Johnny and Allison, here we come :)!