- We had a packed house for the Newcomer’s Lunch after the 11:00 service! It was great to meet so many new folks who are loving Southbrook Church!
- I stopped by The Cove this past Wednesday (now that our Galatians series is over) to see what was supposed to be 2 tables of about 10 or 11 folks for a parenting series. Imagine my shock in seeing that almost 60 showed up! Guess we’re on to something with this, huh? Thanks to Heidi Demaio, the Kanipes, and all the volunteers who helped make this happen! We have the very best volunteers and staff!
- I confessed a frustration that many pastors have with preaching every single week today. I may have broken some unwritten pastoral code. Hope not. What I confessed was that all of us (preachers, that is) know good and well that we can preach our guts out but all will be for not unless the people connect with what is being shared on a personal, heartfelt level. If they don’t, nothing is likely to change.
- Want to see the church being the church? Here are the folks helping to build the room for Garren onto the Janes’ home. If that doesn’t give you a glimpse into the heart of God I’m not sure what will!
- You and I were made for community but did you know that we were also made “by community?” That’s right. We were created by God—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—in their image and likeness. Part of the image of God is that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always been in community—always enjoyed that community. So should we.
- A Bible that’s falling apart is usually owned by someone who isn’t. Remember that as you encourage your children (and yourself) not to merely dabble in the Bible, but to devour it!
I came across this piece written by someone identifying themselves simply as, heart2heart. But I like their view on “fairness.”
“Life is not always “fair”
Who said life is “fair” anyway? Whether we like it or not, there are a multiplicity of things which come up in the course of our lives which are just not fair Our ability to handle injustice in many respects determines our ability to not get drug into the murk and mire associated with getting something we didn’t deserve or not getting something we did deserve.When looking into the heart of a truly bitter person, almost always the biggest issue is the belief that they are a victim of injustice. The truth is that usually they are right. There is little we can do in this life to prevent being caught in situations that are “just not fair”. Those types of things go with living life. What we can do is not allow those things to drag us into a state of depression or resentment.
Negative people not only are not pleasant to be around but they breed more negativity. Negative people whose favorite expression in life is “woe is me” are usually extremely selfish and self centered lonely souls who have few friends and many perceived enemies. They waste their lives lamenting all the terrible things that happen to them and how they are “just not fair.
We all use phrases everyday such as “why ME” or “give ME a break”. Aren’t they a bit selfish? Usually these words come up when something is going wrong such as the inability to get a light bulb to screw in correctly or a meal that wont cook right etc. Are these “things” really conspiring against us to ruin our day? Did all the light bulbs in the closet have a meeting and decide to deliberately not cooperate?
Life can indeed be a source of great joy or in the words of Eeyore, one big bother. If we allow circumstances or people to push our buttons and get us upset, the ensuing results are usually not pleasant. But, if we work to not let all the meaningless things get to us, we can usually at the end of the day laugh at the apparent run of “bad luck”.
Just because someone else gets that prime parking space doesn’t mean they are evil or you have been wronged. Just because the person ahead of you at the store buys the lottery ticket that makes them instantly rich and yours is a loser doesn’t mean you are a victim of injustice. Just because, when you can least afford it, the tire goes flat or the computer dies doesn’t mean you are justified in filing a grievance in the court of life.
Life is going to be full of wonderful experiences that are as rich as the first bite of the most delicious meal you have ever eaten. Life is also going to be full of hassles, aggravation and inconveniences that make you want to scream. If we can manifest patience during the difficult times, we purchase for ourselves assurances that we will soon be enjoy Gods blessings.”