I've been warshed!

Sunday night was incredible!! For those of you who couldn't make it, we had the annual Church picnic and baptism at Lake Acworth. It was fun just hanging out with all the people. Actually I realized just how many NorthStar people I don't know. I recognized alot of people and called alot of people "buddy" or "Man", but realized how many names I really don't know. Too be honest, I'm not really sure my brain is big enough to remember all those names.
After we ate we all went down to the water for a good ol' baptizing! All in all we had 97 people get warshed in the water. It was awesome. I specifically remember one lady who wadded out in the water, six weeks ago she was smoking a joint and asking some of our men's ministry guys to take her kids to church. Little did she know that her life would never be the same. It was very cool. Her eyes where filled with tears and her face was filled with smile!
Let's never forget why we sing our song and why we do what we do.

Love you guys,
Daniel

What are the chances?

lessons from the water hose

Have you looked at your yard lately? Has all the recent rain made it look at lot greener and healthier than it did this time last year? It seems like the danger of the drought has passed and we can return to business as usual with watering our yards, and letting kids play endlessly in the sprinkler... It's so easy to let a few hard rains disguise the fact that under those green patches of grass is really dry soil and a whole lot of weeds. I heard them say on the news the other day that it will take 2 years for us to recover from the drought.
As I was rescuing Eli's toys from the thunderstorms tonight, it occurred to me that I often find my life suffering from it's own sort of spiritual drought. I can immerse myself for a day or two in God's word, spend time really seeking his face and taking time to listen to what he has to say...On the outside I look like I have it all together, but lurking underneath the surface is still a really dry spirit and a whole lot of weeds. Those weeds are whatever "stress of the week" life seems to have ordered up for me. They are there all the time but I don't really seem to notice them until they pop up and start to make things really ugly. It's only then that I realize how dried up and thirsty for time with the Lord I am.

Just before the rains came tonight Eli discovered the water hose outside. I was rinsing off his shoes and he turned the corner and saw me. His sippy cup was covered in sand and dirt and he was really thirsty so I let him have sip of water from the hose. I thought would be then end of it but....His eyes lit up and so for about 5 or 10 minutes I sprayed him while he ran around the yard with such excitement about something he was experiencing for the first time. Arms waving, spinning around, drenched, literally drinking in every drop of that moment that he could. When I turned the water off so we could go inside he was devastated.....more watah mommy, mooooore!

Wouldn't it be great if our lives were the same? If we would raise our arms and drink in every moment of our time with the Lord? And if we were never satisfied, always crying out for more...?? A day or two of a heavy downpour isn't what we need to relieve the damage the drought has done. We need days and weeks of consistent, steady rain. I need that same consistency in my times with the Lord. A few pop-up showers like a great song on the radio or a small group meeting here and there may get me through the day or the week, but it won't be long before those weeds start cropping back up. I hope you'll find time this week to get to those dry areas of your life. And remember if there's no rain, a water hose does the job really well too! Just ask Eli!
Love you guys! Have a great week!
Steph

Psalm 63
"God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you! I've worked up such a hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

"I like being liked"

This is a post that came from my sister's blog. I found it really insightful. She is a fantastic mother of three boys and I'd love to share this message from her heart. She also takes great family photos as seen here. Great blog Jamie!


Perhaps it's b/c the word "love" has been so abused, misused and over-used in our culture as to have stripped down its meaning. Whatever the reason, I have to say that when I hear my boys say, "Mama I wike (like) you" I feel like the honor of all honors, the crown of all crowns has been granted me to wear. There is a deep satisfaction that comes to the soul when you know that you are LIKED and enjoyed......that someone really finds pleasure in your company and is made glad just by the fact that you are near them, even if engaged in some activity separate from them. It's really glorious. My boys, ever growing in their capacity to experience love and in the capacity to express it, are always searching for new ways to define their feels for me and Michael.

How do I like thee? Let me count the ways......A few of their expressions:

"I like you faster than a cheetah."

"I like you bigger than a sharp-tooth (dinosaur)."

"I like you taller than the biggest tree ever."

"I like you bigger than a rainbow."

"I like you bigger than the sky."

And the newest one, and my personal favorite this morning: "I like you fatter than a cloud."


As for Joshua's expression of his LIKE of me....he likes me so much that if I step around the corner out of his view, he literally explodes in ear-splitting screams of displeasure and heart-rending terror. My face is his only consolation. My presence is his only source of peace and joy. He has entered into the phase of babyhood aptly termed "separation anxiety." (Separation anxiety=life is unbearable without your nearness.) While it's difficult to endure in the natural realm of being a mom with real responsibilities that include things other than holding Joshua, it certainly instructs my spirit in the ways of the heart.....and how to hold mine before the Father. It's the experience of God's presence in my life, the feeling of His pleasure in my company, the perception of His smile as He looks upon me even in my immaturity and "baby-ness" that more than upholds me and makes my heart happy and content. Joshua's anxiety in my absence reminds me of the way the human heart was designed. And he reminds me not to mistake "I'm okay with a heart that is distant from God" with "living by faith in the unseen," because I'm really NOT okay apart from deep relationship with God. I just wasn't designed to be. May my own heart "mature" into separation anxiety so that a life without His perceived presence would be just unbearable.

But back to the subject of the post.....here's to being liked "faster than a cheetah."

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Love to all,
Bonnie

Wow, this is amazing!

This kid is unbelievable! I played catcher when I was little, but I'm already seeing that he is much better than I was.

Funny

"Cry Me A River"

Do you ever just have a bad day? Occasionally I wake up and find that nothing seems to be going my way. Sometimes it may be from life hitting hard, but mostly it's just a mood. I allow myself to look around at all the things God allows in life that seem hard or unfair or just plain mean. Then I start the self-indulgent pity party. Have you ever been there? (Somebody tell me I'm not the only un-spiritual one).

Anyway, I recently had one of those days. After a while of focusing on the negative, God began to convict me and turn my heart toward Him. He is so faithful. He has done so much for me and in my life and through me. He chooses to love me- even when I don't deserve His favor. He gave His life for me when I was His enemy. So, why do I have the tendancy to question His motives for the things He allows in my life? He uses all things for my good and His ultimate glory. He is Good in all things. He is Wise. He is Loving in His thoughts toward me. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us, "The Lord, your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." I remember these words and all of these truths about God and my heart softens, changes, then turns to adoration.

It's so incredible that fixing our eyes on Jesus and telling Him who He is and what He has done changes us. That's the power of praise. It's impossible to praise the Lord and remain focused on ourselves and circumstances at the same time. I think that's why the psalms are constantly commanding us "let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"- Psalm 150:6 Praise always brings perspective. Try it sometime. Next time you are down and out or just having a bad day, week, month, or even life, turn to praise. Tell God Who He is and what He has done. You may not feel it at first, but before long your heart and mind will fall in line with the truth. And if that doesn't seem to work for you, try Mary-Michal Linch's (Mike's 11 year old daughter) advice... "Cry me a river, build yourself a bridge, and get over it!" Thanks Mary-Michal for my new favorite quote!
Love ya'll,
Bonnie