2009 was a great year, but like any year it had its ups and downs.  I guess you can’t appreciate the ups until you realize when you’re climbing out of the downs.  Ministry at our church has been time consuming but worth it.  We started the year of with a winter retreat at beloved Camp Spofford.  Through out the spring and summer Sam cooked up ideas of service projects at local ministries like Helping Hand Rescue Mission and perhaps the most successful event – our youth group put on a VBS program for Roosevelt Bible Church.  Like last summer, our group also partnered with Grace Bible Church in Philadelphia for a week of exposure to ministry in an urban setting.  I love the youth at our church.  Watching them grow and mature is a joy and a privilege.  After many hectic weeks Sam and I ended the summer by celebrating our 1^st Anniversary on a nice, relaxing vacation in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  We did nothing but be beach bums, it was amazing!

On a much more personal note, this year was definitely colored by one painful event.  In April, I was surprised to find myself pregnant. We were overwhelmed by the pregnancy but our worries and concerns gave way to joy and on Mother’s Day we revealed the news to our families.  For reasons unknown, I miscarried our baby by the middle of May.  I feel this event will haunt us for the rest of our lives, but “hope is born of suffering” and I marvel and the comfort and peace God provided through some dark days.  On our mantel sits a box with the sonogram picture of our first child God knitted in my womb.  It is also filled with the kindest notes and prayers I received due to that loss.  I have never been more thankful for supportive family, kind friends and our church’s tender and loving community.  Most important to me were the relationships formed and strengthened with women who had experienced the same tragedy.  It was their words that made the deepest impression on me, especially those who made a point to reach out to me weeks and months after the event.  I remember that day as the saddest in my life but I also remember it as the day I saw on a deeper level how much of a treasure Sam is to me.  I wonder at how God has been so kind to me in that area. I wish you could have seen how gentle Sam’s eyes are – from when he looked down on me as I lay in the hospital bed before going into the operating room to four months later as he patiently dealt with me as I continued to work through my grief and frustration.

Autumn quickly turned into Christmas-tide.  In that time we’ve celebrated multiple weddings of family and friends (going to weddings is sooo much fun when you know how much marriage means to you), kept up with normal schedules, welcomed a second nephew into our lives, got another dog and discovered we’d have another nephew in the spring.  Thanksgiving also took on a new meaning as our first niece was born prematurely—we continue to be grateful for her continued growth and health.  Soon, she’ll be home with her mom and dad and we couldn’t be more thrilled.  I am looking forward to meeting this little one who has consumed my prayers! Christmas ’09 was quite the busy one! I am proud of Sam and I.  Every now and then I’ll look at him and think “we did it!”  In 11 days, we hosted 15 different people and 2 dogs (not counting our own) at our home.  Some stayed for a night, some for a few days and some for a week, but not all at the same time! Throw in a wedding, a blizzard, Christmas and Sam generally being busier with the church Christmas schedule—well, I don’t know what that makes for, but it’s crazy fun! By our front door hangs a plaque we received as wedding gift.  It reads “whether you come to visit or just to rest, when you enter our home may you be blessed.”  That is my hope for our house.  We were delighted that our home could be the hub for Sam’s family during his brother’s wedding, enabling most of his side to celebrate Christmas a few days early.  I also was delighted to celebrate Christmas with my entire family. With one brother in Cali and the other in Louisville, this isn’t going to happen a lot and I’m grateful when we can actually pull it off. Well there ya have it! If you want more details, all you have to do is ask.  Sam and I recouped by spending a night in New York City.  Nothing like starting the new year off on the right foot! Beware, I plan on “blogging” a whole lot more in 2010.  Thanks for taking the time to care about us, whoever our readers are (hi mom)!!!

Jesus Loves Muslims, and so should you! Loving your Muslim neighbor as Jesus would.

“And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) – In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus teaches us to love even those who we are inclined to hate. There is a good analogy to make between Christians/Muslims and Israelites/Samaritans. Both groups claim the same heritage and have awful histories of hatred that separates them. This quarter-long class on Christianity and Islam has some pretty simple, Jesus-commanded goals.  1) Understand your Muslim Neighbors. 2) Figure out how to show them love.  We’ll be studying Christianity to know how and why our theology differs. We’ll study the history and theology of Islam and the differing beliefs of different forms of Islam.  This will be an intense course with assignments; students will learn both sides of the conversation well – come for the challenge.  Lord-willing we will be able to have some real conversations with Muslims from our area.

At the start of our very busy  weekend, we celebrated our graduating class from Youth Group. I always love our senior banquets because they are reminders of how our students develop and grow in their lives and in their faith. Perhaps more importantly senior banquets are a reminder of how much our church cares for Jesus’ sheep and how our diverse body can come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our students. I’m really thankful for our church and for how much they care for the mission of Jesus to support students. I’m really proud of our students and how God is and will use them – and I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing them grow and going on to do great things!

Last weekend was pretty busy – on Friday we did a youth rally with some of my friends from Bethel Lutheran and Huntington Baptist Church – along with John Bernor and his youth group. On Sunday night – we had a really great kids program – check out some pictures in the video above.

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. (NLT) Psalm 24:1-2

We have a lot going on in the Month of May and a ton going on during this summer. God has been doing some incredible things with our students group—pray for them as they grow and are stretched to serve God in exciting ways.

May Events

Fridays, May, 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 All Junior and Senior High Students are invited to join us for a night of Games, Worship and Teaching. We work hard to making this a place where it’s easy for students to have fun and make good friends, by playing interactive games, and thinking about how great our God is.

Friday, May 1st 7pm—Youth Group Rally —We’ve invited two other youth groups to join us a Friday Night meeting with a guest band, drama, and Christian power-lifter John Bernor this will be a great night to invite friends to.

May 9th—Run For Youth Fundraiser —Signup ASAP—raise sponsor s and go on an early beach run to raise money for trips and missions.

May 29th Senior Banquet (7PM)— We’ll be honoring our 09 Graduating class. —Alexa, Amanda, Mary, Larry, Tori & Yassmina.

Summer Events

Start marking your Summer Calendars ASAP— We want to challenge students to invest their summers in the Kingdom of Heaven – In addition to the things to the right, during free weeks we’ll be taking one day as a beach day and encourage students to invite non-Christian friends to join our community, also we’ll take one day during free weeks to do mini-missions trips to help out with local missions. (not to mention the famous Friday Night pool parties!) -

Sunday, June 14th —Jones Beach Evangelistic Crusade with Greg Laurie, Delirious, Jars of Clay

Saturday, June 27 — Morning trip to help at Helping Hand Rescue Mission

Tuesday, July 7th —Trip to Great Adventure

July 13-17—Dix Hills VBS

July 20-26— Urban Missions Trip to Philadelphia

July 31-Aug 1— Rock the Sound —NYC (Newsboys, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, Pillar, Superchick, Shane & Shane, Phil Wickham, and more)

Aug 3-6 —Putting on VBS at Roosevelt Bible Church

God’s Home… 1 Ti 3:15 God’s household, which is the church of the living God.

God’s Kingdom… Col 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

God’s Flock…. 1 Pe 5:2-4 - Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them —not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

God’s Army… 2 Ti 2:3-4 – Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; rather, they try to please their commanding officer.

I think perhaps because I work at a church, it’s really easy to forget what a Church really is suppose to be like. – I’m thankful for a reminder every now and again.

I started this morning thinking about the upcoming year and about things to focus on. One thing that has been echoing in my mind as a common theme for the past month the image of people in our community as wondering along anonymously in pain – even in the holidays. This has been a theme. So this morning when I started to read today’s Bible Reading online it was interesting to read:

Zech 10:1

Ask rain from the Lord

in the season of the spring rain,
from the Lord who makes the storm clouds,
and he will give them showers of rain,
to everyone the vegetation in the field.

For the household gods utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.

Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

People need direction and wisdom. We need it mostly from our Chief Shepherd Jesus, but also us under shepherds can help people see Jesus more clearly. – An interesting challenge.

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

– St. Paul, First Letter to Timothy

“So many of us say, ‘All right, I’ll attend another Bible conference,’ or ‘I’ll take a course,’ or ‘I’ll buy a book.’ My friends, what we need is not more instruction, we’ve been instructed to death. Where in the world is there more fundamental Bible teaching than here in Chicago? This is the Mecca of Fundamentalism. This is the Vatican of Evangelicalism. We’ve got notebooks at home stacked high that go back twenty-five years. They tell us of some new sidelight on some text or some new illustration somebody gave to point up a doctrine. But, oh, what weak creatures we are! What joyless people we are!” (A.W. Tozer, “These Faithful Wounds”)

“You may be in a dry, arid spiritual condition, and you read a biography somebody gives you. And as you read it your heart is warmed and moved and you feel altogether better and different. It leads you to a season of prayer for this blessing and great diligence in your Christian life. But that only lasts for a while. Then you read another such book and the same thing happens again. You can spend your life like that.” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable)

There’s nothing wrong with retreats, any more than there’s something wrong with weddings. But the crucial thing is the day after. And the day after that. Tozer adds, “I believe God wants us to long for Him with the longing that will become lovesickness, that will keep us always moving toward Him.” I have that, and if you ask how I got it, it is His grace as I pray constantly and read his Word like my life depends on it.

Hit: WorldMag

hit: Peter Enns

I’ve been thinking about forgiveness when I read a post from my former professor. – (a guy who probably has reasons for grudges)

We are commanded by Jesus to forgive others, even those…especially those…who have wronged us. He commands us to do so, because, when we forgive, especially those who have wronged us terribly, we are most like him.

Forgiveness does not mean that we make believe the injustice never happened, or make light of it. It means we cease harboring ill against the other. We let it go.

It does not depend on our ability to bring the other to the same realization. We cannot control the other. We can only control ourselves.

Our forgiveness must commence regardless of the other. We can only make the decision for ourselves to move to the center. We cannot force the other to take that same step.

Forgiveness is not for the weak.

A barrier to forgiveness is our sense of justice. If we forgive the other and move on, where is justice? But this is why forgiveness is so hard. It is easier to forgive if we feel some guarantee that justice will be delivered in the near future. But that is not forgiveness.

Forgiveness looks only within, what we can do. It does not think of what should be done to the other.

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