I usually hate email forwards, but this one was pretty funny....
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Very important information has just been made public that I think is something you should all be aware of:
Gonorrhea Lectim
The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of this old disease.
The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim. It's pronounced "Gonna re-elect 'im."
The disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior involving putting your cranium up your rectum.
Many victims contracted it in 2008 ..... but now most people after having been infected for the past 1-2 years are starting to realize how destructive this sickness is. It's sad because it is so easily cured with a new procedure just coming on the market called Vo-tem-out.
You take the first dose/step in 2010 and the second dosage in 2012 and simply don't engage in such behavior again. .
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Honesty Within the Church
To be honest, I find it hard to be honest about my struggles in the church, and where I am struggling with my job, which is at a church. I am pretty sure this has something to do with the fall...a long time ago...starting with Adam and Eve.
In Genesis 2:25, it states "The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame"
This does not simply mean physically naked. It is an intimacy with God and each other that caused no shame. They were naked with their emotions. They were naked with their experiences. They were naked with their souls.
They did not know what jealousy was. They did not know what contempt was. They did not know what anger was. They did not know how not to share everything with each other.
They felt no shame.
I am so thankful for the handful of people in my life who I know I can share every part of my life with; the good, the bad, the ugly, and they stick around. Its nice to know that I have a community of people who will walk through life with me.
Does your church cultivate a place of honesty? Do you feel you can take off the mask and share your burdens with others in the church?
In Genesis 2:25, it states "The man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame"
This does not simply mean physically naked. It is an intimacy with God and each other that caused no shame. They were naked with their emotions. They were naked with their experiences. They were naked with their souls.
They did not know what jealousy was. They did not know what contempt was. They did not know what anger was. They did not know how not to share everything with each other.
They felt no shame.
I am so thankful for the handful of people in my life who I know I can share every part of my life with; the good, the bad, the ugly, and they stick around. Its nice to know that I have a community of people who will walk through life with me.
Does your church cultivate a place of honesty? Do you feel you can take off the mask and share your burdens with others in the church?
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Deflated Spirit with Words
Isn't it funny how words can hurt/deflate a persons spririt?
This morning, a conversation took place where we evaluated the past week. Although some nice things were said, it was more of a conversation of what wasn't right.
The hardest part about it is the main thing that went wrong, I had no control over.
And when it was stated that a component that I oversaw was a failure, my spirit deflated...more than usual. And this is because I have given a month of my life to make the month of February the best it can be.
Sometimes I wonder if my best is even good enough...
This morning, a conversation took place where we evaluated the past week. Although some nice things were said, it was more of a conversation of what wasn't right.
The hardest part about it is the main thing that went wrong, I had no control over.
And when it was stated that a component that I oversaw was a failure, my spirit deflated...more than usual. And this is because I have given a month of my life to make the month of February the best it can be.
Sometimes I wonder if my best is even good enough...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Learning To Be Healthy
At the beginning of the year, Blake and I put some "guidelines" on our life. We want to have a happy, healthy, thriving marriage. We don't want to live in mediocrity.
Below is the list of things we came up with to help us move in the right direction:
1. Read our Bible daily.
Even though I work at a church, and read the Word for work, I don't always take time to just stop and be with Him. This has become the number one priority for us.
2. Praying together.
Way.
More.
Often.
About anything. About everything.
3. Read a book together. One chapter each week and discuss.
4.Exercise at least 4 days a week. This has turned into 6 days with P90X.
5. Cook at home more. Even though life can be crazy working at a church, we waste money and
eat more unhealthy when we eat out.
6.Individaually hang out with a friend at least every other week.
7. Hang out with another couple at least every other week.
8. Get out of town once a month, even if it is for a day. To stop and just be with each other.
9. Walk the dogs 3 times a week.
And for me:
Days that I don't have evening commitments...get my butt out of bed and to work by 8 so I can be off at 5 so I can spend the most amount of time per evening hanging out with Blake and doing whatever I want.
Journal at least once a week. I haven't been good at this one, but I know I need to do it. Prayer journaling helps me to get out all of my thoughts on paper to God, the good, the bad, the ugly. It helps me to process everything.
For the lifestyle changes we have made with each other, we have consequences put in place for when don't follow through.
So far, 2010 has been one of the best years of my life :)
Below is the list of things we came up with to help us move in the right direction:
1. Read our Bible daily.
Even though I work at a church, and read the Word for work, I don't always take time to just stop and be with Him. This has become the number one priority for us.
2. Praying together.
Way.
More.
Often.
About anything. About everything.
3. Read a book together. One chapter each week and discuss.
4.Exercise at least 4 days a week. This has turned into 6 days with P90X.
5. Cook at home more. Even though life can be crazy working at a church, we waste money and
eat more unhealthy when we eat out.
6.Individaually hang out with a friend at least every other week.
7. Hang out with another couple at least every other week.
8. Get out of town once a month, even if it is for a day. To stop and just be with each other.
9. Walk the dogs 3 times a week.
And for me:
Days that I don't have evening commitments...get my butt out of bed and to work by 8 so I can be off at 5 so I can spend the most amount of time per evening hanging out with Blake and doing whatever I want.
Journal at least once a week. I haven't been good at this one, but I know I need to do it. Prayer journaling helps me to get out all of my thoughts on paper to God, the good, the bad, the ugly. It helps me to process everything.
For the lifestyle changes we have made with each other, we have consequences put in place for when don't follow through.
So far, 2010 has been one of the best years of my life :)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
P90X
2 weeks ago, hubs and I started P90X. We already eat pretty healthy, so the real change was the intense exercising.
P90X is hard, but for the most part, I have been able to keep up with good ol' Tony. Tony Horton reminds me of Michael Scott from The Office. He says awkward things at awkward times....which makes me laugh.
The best part of doing P90X right is the fact that we are already seeing results. We aren't sticking to the meal plane precisely, but if you can't have a little fun in life what's the point?
P90X is hard, but for the most part, I have been able to keep up with good ol' Tony. Tony Horton reminds me of Michael Scott from The Office. He says awkward things at awkward times....which makes me laugh.
The best part of doing P90X right is the fact that we are already seeing results. We aren't sticking to the meal plane precisely, but if you can't have a little fun in life what's the point?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Missions Month 2010
The Bridge Church is celebrating our 23rd year of Missions Festival Month. Below is the article I wrote for our "Bridge to the Nations" magazine.
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For Missions Month in 2010, we are partnering with a local agency that starts in the heart of Fresno but touches the world. We have an organization here in town that instills the heart of God in His people as they choose to follow Him and learn to love like He loves us.
Fresno - 55 violent gangs in Fresno with 7,000 members.
Fresno - Where 30% of families are below the poverty line.
Fresno - 5th poorest city in the nation.
Fresno - Largest refugee population in the United States.
Fresno - Where 50% of the nations' meth is produced.
Fresno - 22 neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
Fresno - 3,000 children in the Fresno Unified School District have been identified as homeless.
Fresno - 4th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
Fresno - 35% of adults don’t have high school diplomas. The dropout rate exceeds the state average by 36%.
Based upon the above statistics, Fresno seems like a lost cause. This past year, however, we have seen Fresno in a whole new light. There is beauty in the brokenness. The brokenness that is our lives, that is our city, that is our world. God came to live amongst us. In John 1:14 it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
None of us is worthy of the love of God, yet He gives to us generously. We look, we judge, we turn away. God looks, he loves, he embraces. He left his home, his comfort, He incarnated himself to be one with us. The incarnation of Jesus is the means which Christ reaches out to us, the message he wants to communicate to us, and the model for how we are to minister.
What if God’s heart for the least of these and the City of Fresno infiltrated your heart? Did you know that there are more than 300 verses in the Bible about God’s heart for the poor and for justice? God desires for us to love like he loves, to see as he sees, and to do as he does.
We are partnering with InterVarsity’s Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership (FIFUL). It's an organization that seeks the Shalom of the city. Our city. Fresno.
Join us in helping to transform inner-city Fresno from the inside... by equipping builders to expand the kingdom.
------------------------------------------------------------
For Missions Month in 2010, we are partnering with a local agency that starts in the heart of Fresno but touches the world. We have an organization here in town that instills the heart of God in His people as they choose to follow Him and learn to love like He loves us.
Fresno - 55 violent gangs in Fresno with 7,000 members.
Fresno - Where 30% of families are below the poverty line.
Fresno - 5th poorest city in the nation.
Fresno - Largest refugee population in the United States.
Fresno - Where 50% of the nations' meth is produced.
Fresno - 22 neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
Fresno - 3,000 children in the Fresno Unified School District have been identified as homeless.
Fresno - 4th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
Fresno - 35% of adults don’t have high school diplomas. The dropout rate exceeds the state average by 36%.
Based upon the above statistics, Fresno seems like a lost cause. This past year, however, we have seen Fresno in a whole new light. There is beauty in the brokenness. The brokenness that is our lives, that is our city, that is our world. God came to live amongst us. In John 1:14 it says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
None of us is worthy of the love of God, yet He gives to us generously. We look, we judge, we turn away. God looks, he loves, he embraces. He left his home, his comfort, He incarnated himself to be one with us. The incarnation of Jesus is the means which Christ reaches out to us, the message he wants to communicate to us, and the model for how we are to minister.
What if God’s heart for the least of these and the City of Fresno infiltrated your heart? Did you know that there are more than 300 verses in the Bible about God’s heart for the poor and for justice? God desires for us to love like he loves, to see as he sees, and to do as he does.
We are partnering with InterVarsity’s Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership (FIFUL). It's an organization that seeks the Shalom of the city. Our city. Fresno.
Join us in helping to transform inner-city Fresno from the inside... by equipping builders to expand the kingdom.
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