COMMUNITY

This week I sat with some 7th grade girls as they ate their lunch. The memories of Jr. High lunch quickly shot through my mind. The noise, the laughing, the tables that were guys only and girls only clubs, the pockets of boys and girls sitting by themselves with blank stares as they looked at everyone else having fun and I am sure wishing they were able to get the nerve to go and sit at that table with all the laughter, but paralyzed by the fear of rejection I am sure.

So I start asking questions about the groups sitting together. That group is the popular guys and that group is the popular girls. She looked at me and said you know the football players and cheerleaders. Oh yeah I remember that. That group over there is the kids always in trouble, yep, that has changed they all sit together plotting their next rule to break. I asked so what group am I sitting with here. They all in unison smiled and said we are the normal group.

Then one of the girls said with a real sense of sadness. The community that we had when we came back from the retreat is now gone. It didn’t last a week. Then she said I wish we could get back to everyone talking and caring about each other. But we are back to this….

It is now nearly 24 hours since that conversation. I have thought a great deal about her observation. I am with her I wish those 7th graders would keep up the same community that they had when they left the retreat. Yet I just can’t get over the fact that one 7th grade girl at Aledo Middle School gets it and wants it.

I said you know, it could begin with you. You could work really intentionally to lead all these 7th graders to community with each other. At least it would be worth the try. She grinned and nodded and affirmative.

It is so wonderful to hear that one 7th grade girl gets it. The question is do we get it?

Acts 2:42-47 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

NEWS

I am sitting in front of the tv watching the news. I do this every morning. Some of the topics this morning have been well...bad. The economy, politicians not paying their fare share to the IRS and the worst part getting by with it, terrorism is always in the news, Beyonce shouldn't of sang that womans song for Obama,

All the news can sure drive you nuts. If all we did was dwell on all this bad news hope, possibilities, the future would be dim, non existent, empty, for sure depressing.

So today I will not think about how screwed up things appear to be. I will focus on the Good News. The Good News is not mediocre news, it is not ok news, it is not eh take it or leave it news. It is the GOOD NEWS. The good news is Jesus is the Lord, our savior, He is THE LIFE GIVER, He is in charge, He is at Work, and He is coming again one day.

Yep the choice is clear the Worlds news is just no match for THE GOOD NEWS...

John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

We all have heard time and time again that the economy is in trouble. People are loosing jobs, retirement accounts are half of what they were a year ago. These are difficult times. However we have a wonderful opportunity. We have a chance to show people that living for comfort, things, money etc... is not all there is to life and with the power of the Lord we really can live differently. Our joy and peace is beyond circumstances. So we can choose to live differently. By our lives we can show that Jesus is enough to carry us through any and every circumstance.

Colossians 1:27 (NLT)27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

LED BY THE SPIRIT?

Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

The scripture points out that if we are led by the Spirit we will not do those things our nature craves.

HAPPY FRESH START

This time last year I set a goal that on December 31st I would be able to run 1 hour without stopping or walking. So I started. I started with prayer. I prayed you know Lord I have tried and tried to do this and just haven't been able to do it. I exercise but I am stuck in making progress. At the time I was doing 45 minutes a workout on the Elliptical machine [spelling I know] ... but I was stuck and I wanted to jog. So I received this idea [from the Lord I believe] he said Go and now and run five minutes every day this week and then add one minute a week and before the year is over you will make it. So I did. Hey those first 20 weeks or so were really painful. It took time for the lungs, legs, feet, joints, knees and mind to get conditioned. The one minute per week addition was the key. In the past I would go out and jog 10 minutes and then hurt for 2 or 3 days and I would get discouraged and that was it. So yesterday Dec. 31st between 2 pm and 3 pm I jogged an entire hour. It really felt good to reach the goal. In addition Susan, Amy, Richard and Vicki White, the Boukadoums, Mr. Ledford came and cheered me on to finish. I finished to the Rocky song. It was awesome. My goal for 2009 is one hour and one minute....

So my experience is on these new years resolutions is ask God first. He just knows what is best for us. By the way. If next week you don't make progress or have a set back. He gives lots of grace as His children make life changes.

If jogging is one of your goals for 09. Adding 1 minute each week gets you to 52 minutes before the end of the year. When you get to 52 minutes a session 8 more for the hour is a piece of cake.

What does God want you to change this year?

HAPPY FRESH STARTS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

OUR UNDERSTANDING

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

One of the changes that we have to make in the new life we have in Christ is to learn to trust in Him rather than ourselves. We must do this for salvation. We aren't able to trust ourselves for our eternal destiny. We also need to look beyond our understanding in everyday matters.

SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS?

Are you a planner? Do you make a habit of making plans without God? Have you been taught to live by a 5 or 10 year plan? It sounds good but we really need to be careful. Check out what James has to say...

this is from the message translation

James 4:13-17 13 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." 14 You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.
15 Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." 16 As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. 17 In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.