wonder

Reading an article yesterday how people today are flooded with so much information all day long, that they/we don't have time to think about anything deeply. It really got me thinking (deeply...lol) about how we have so much technology that takes our attention off of the "wonder of God" all around us. May I never get to "busy" to wonder at a sunset or to see the sense of amazement in my kids eyes. To look at a flower and see the reflection of the Creator. All around us, all day long, God is revealing Himself in wonder.....but many times we are too busy to see it. What "wonder" are you missing today?

questions from my reading

First, the builders said the meeting with the City of Picktown went well. We are getting the "official" building contract tomorrow and then we are only a few building permits away from breaking ground! Exciting.
OK ...changing gears....a couple of questions I've been asking myself from "The Treasure Principle."
- Have I and my family over accumulated?
- When I get a pay raise, is it to up my standard of living....or my standard of giving?
- What am I holding on to that is robbing me of present joy and/or future reward?
- What is my giving saying about me?

I hope you wrestle through these questions like I have. Keri and I are continuing to learn the power of giving.....it will change your life!

city council

Tonight our builder "MidWest" goes before the city council to get approval to build our new addition. We're praying everything goes smooth. Pickerington has some strict codes and laws but have been great in their dealings with us. I think our city sees that the heart of our church is to work alongside them to make our community a better place. We want to be a church that is in love with it's community.

EASTER!

Easter was awesome! I want to say a special thanks to the C3'ers that came to the 1st and 3rd services to make room in the 2nd. We had a full house all 3 services. We have an amazing team of leaders that pulled the day off. There were several who gave their lives to Christ and had a ton of guests. I don't usually like to talk numbers but want to celebrate what God is doing. We had 559 in attendance between the 3 services on Sunday. God has given us some great momentum and we are enjoying His favor......and we've only just begun!

the Cross

It's funny how through a turn of events, Keri and I ended up watching a movie last night we had never heard of, nor was the movies in our plans. We watched "The Cross," which is the story Arthur Blessitt, the guy who carried a 12ft cross literally around the world. At first, I was not too sure about this guy, but as the documentary went on, you began to see how God was using this guy. I wrote down some great quotes that really spoke to me:
- "Your vision can never be bigger than the next person God leads you to."
- "The way someone treats the worst person in the world, is how that person treats Jesus."
- "Your circumstances doesn't change the Will of God."
- "My unworthiness, doesn't disqualify me from the Call."
- "I'm just the donkey that carries the message of Jesus to the world."

For me, it was one of those movies that will have me thinking for a long time.

the real story

Tuesday, I was at my parents in Canton with my family, when this incident occured. My mom had just bought a glass top stove about a year ago. On Monday night, a big glass jar on top of the fridge falls off and shatters the whole top of the stove and damages one of the burners. It cost just as much to replace as to buy new....so they bought another one. My dad and I load the new stove (same model) in the back of his truck and are in transit back to their house. While driving down the highway, the wind catches it and slings it to the back and looks like it's going over the tailgate. I yell, and my dad hits his brakes, just in time to keep in in the truck, but it lands on it's front and shatters the door glass and brakes the handle. (We can both now feel the wrath of my mom who is already devasted the first one was broke) We get back home before my mom and Keri, who went shopping. Then after some nifty problem solving, we switched out parts from the old one to the new one, and pulled off a perfect no scratch/shattered/dented stove! Thank-you Jesus! Mom of course still found out, but we minimized the damage.

your best

What would happen if we did our best at everything, like we were doing/giving it to Jesus? Whether putting away the dishes, yard work, an assignment at school or something at work. Colossians 3:17 says: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Today on the treadmill, I was running 1/4 mile repeats, and they were starting to hurt. I thought about going slower, but that wouldn't have been my best. So I did all I could to give my best. Of course when you do your best, you also reap from that. But what would happen if we did everything as if we were doing it for Jesus? It would probably change our lives.