Coming to the Still Waters

A Happy New Year to you all.  I had some photos on my phone that I hadn't transferred over so here they are with some explanation and significance to each. The 2003 Saturn Vue now has 250,000 miles on it.  Actually this happened about a week ago.  A couple more repairs before this happened.  A stuck open fuel injector and a tension pulley but all is well and it made two trips to Detroit to get some of the kids.  I posted the same picture at the same speed in May of 2012 when it rolled to 200,000. A very neat looking pine tree stub from the old days that is in the middle of our 10 acres that I snowshoe by.  It always makes me think of what it must have looked like 100 years ago in the woods that I tramp around in. One more picture of our grandson Evan on his way back to D.C. with his parents.  He is sporting some mittens that grandma made him.  This little guy I think has flown more than I have my whole life.  It was such a joy to have all of the family home over the hol

December 30, 2013 4 Godly Disciplines Unique to this Decade by Clint Archer There are no new sins, only more diverse and efficient ways of committing them. Before we let the mainstream of 21 st Century culture catch us in its current, let’s hit pause for a moment and get our bearings. Perhaps it’s time to swim against the information flow. Here are four godly disciplines to pursue in 2014 that have taken on a unique significance in the last five to ten years. 1.  Pluck the I out your iPhone. The advent of smart phones has introduced an unprecedented rate of interruption into our social interactions. Phones have made us selfish and inconsiderate in ways that used to be deemed boorish and uncultured. Formerly, if someone walked up to you and began talking while you were already engaged in another conversation, that the person would be considered rude. But this decade has made us feel rude for not replying instantly to any interruption th

Here is the clan - all home at Christmas.  Little Evan was calling for his bed but toughed it out for a few more but this one had the best smiles of the majority. The first night as Stephanie and I crawled into bed, we marveled at what God has done so far through this thing we call "our" family.  We are so blessed and so humbled to be used of God this way.  It is a small miracle to have us all together at one time.   Christmas was very different this year.  At the end of a couple college experiences and repairing of 3 cars to keep them road worthy left our pockets just full enough to feed the tribe.  Stephanie made some beautiful crocheted hats and scarfs and mittens for all and small gifts were given among the children.  You could start to feel bad but God has provided for this family throughout the year in so many ways. So much uncertainty going into 2014 but not about God leading us.  We continue to pray for God to reveal the next step He wants us to take.  No st

Kevin DeYoung | 5:06 am CT The Scandal of the Semi-Churched This is one of those posts I’ve wanted to write for awhile, but I wasn’t sure how to say what I think needs to be said. The danger of legalism and false guilt is very real. But so is the danger of disobedience and self-deception. I want to talk about church members who attend their home church with great irregularity. These aren’t unchurched folks, or de-churched, or under-churched. They are semi-churched. They show up some of the time, but not every week. They are on again/off again, in and out, here on Sunday and gone for two. That’s the scandal of the semi-churched. In fact, Thom Rainer argues that the number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that church members don’t go to church as often as they used to. We’ve had Christmas and Easter Christians for probably as long as we’ve had Christmas and Easter. Some people will always be intermittent with their church atten

There are 4 videos and make sure to watch them all.  Go to the Youtube site on this.  He gives great advice and information and his clear witness to Jesus Christ. Adam

Bible Study - is yours Christian? Follow this link to give a great gauge to look at our times together. Adam

      I just got done preaching my 9th sermon on the Olivet Discourse (Jesus' last sermon to His disciples outside the temple in the garden about the end times) in chapters 24 and 25 of the gospel of Matthew.  His last illustration is the sheep and the goats.  The difference is that the sheep loved the people of God in basic ways and in turn loved God and the goats did not love the people of God and therefore did not show love to God.  This vertical relationship with God is seen horizontally with our relationships with others, namely the church and then beyond.  I must question my relationship with God if I am not actively loving those God has put me with in the church because when I love them I love Him.      So I left church really in a funk because I think now I know that maybe I didn't give enough practical application of what "that" looks like.  What does it look like to love the church "that" way?  How can I gauge if I am really loving the church?  S