Impact on the World

Our Sunday school class is beginning a study of Acts.  The other project is one the Pastor has presented to all the classes....How can We Love God more?
                    How can We Love Others more?
                     How can We make an Impact on our World?
The class came up with all kinds of wonderful ideas, projects Huge and small... and I kept thinking ...here are 15-20 people... Habitat for Humanity? Homeless Shelter? other equally wonderful goals... but, I'm not going to be able to take my kids and go work on a house, or help out much in a homeless shelter... what can I do?  As a matter of fact, everyone there has jobs, kids, obligations but the biggest thing that Struck me..everyone there has their own specific Talents and gifts.  Instead of organizing a group of people to do a project where we Could make a difference but probably not a Huge difference... what if we organized the whole Church...instead of 10 little groups made up of whoever happens to be there... what if we found out what Each person can do, what they can give, where they can serve, organize everyone into groups that each member can Specialize in...
a group of the men that can work on a house, a group of the women that can cook or babysit, group of teens willing to help with the kids etc.
What if everyone who had Anything to give, time, resources, money, effort, teaching, reading, singing, baking cookies.... what if we took the list of each group of abilities, organized it into a chart of what this total package of people could accomplish...would certainly be bigger than what the individual classes could do on their own... organized schedules and resources and money and babysitting into a larger project that would honestly make an impact?
We need someone with a business head that could begin to organize the talent base available, resources and funds available, people to help get information distributed and get people involved in committing what they have available to use, make this like any other business...find the needs, hire the people suited for the jobs, outline the plan, make up the schedules and communicate clearly between all groups... then we could get to work on something big enough that it would be Noticed... we could all be showing our love for God, for others and make a tremendous impact.
I don't know that this is any kind of workable idea, but it has always seemed that there are about 20 people doing all the work, because no one else knows what they are supposed to be doing, or they aren't good at pounding nails or cooking at the soup kitchen.  What if everyone found their place, found the place where their skills and talents fit in and will actually be Useful?
If everyone in our church wanted to actually get involved and could be given a job that Suited their gifts, everyone working together, doing something they Liked, and giving their best, the projects our church could undertake could be much larger, have more people working, more people giving and loving and making a real difference.

sign up example sheet.... Very basic outline thing

Where Can I Make a Difference?

Name, address, phone 3’s, e-mail

Available times, days and frequency

What can I give?

• Finances
• Food
• Resources
• Time
• Childcare
• Transportation

Special skills/training/abilities?

• Construction
• Business
• Organization
• Leadership
• Communication
• Bookkeeping
• Teaching
• Counseling
• Evangelism
• Hospitality
• Helps

Areas I am willing & able to Serve

• Physical labor
• Childcare
• Teaching
• Cleaning
• Maintenance
• Cooking
• Business skills
• Computer skills
• Paperwork
• Resource acquisition
• Transportation
• Group leadership/ organization
• Business planning
• Fundraising

Humble myself

I wrote a note yesterday, posted it before this, and got a wonderful comment back that just made me feel Wonderful!  Herb McClenahan I am not sure how you are seeing into my circumstances when you don't even know where I live so it must be God speaking through his word through you the person who brings his word Thanks for being faithful to deliver the word of the Lord when he tells you to. Now please pray that those for whom this word was meant will be able to find the strength to act on the word


The problem was that I was feeling pretty darn good about Myself I don't think I was taking it as great praise of ME but it still was making me feel pretty good that I was able to "speak the Word".  Was reading something and it said the guy was getting all this praise for his speaking ability and it suddenly hit him that everyone was talking about him and not about God!  Ooops I had to check my response to Herb to make sure I didn't do that and I guess I did ok, but my feelings I really had to put in check Big time!!  I wanted mom and several other people to read what he had said, you know, so they could see what a good job I was doing.  Yep, I felt about 1/2 inch tall when it hit me!  I'm nothing, just a clay pot, a vessel to be used, not something special!  whew... not that it was too hard a pill to swallow Now, but I could see it becoming a real source of pride for me!  Thank you Lord Jesus for knocking me off that pedestal Right Now!!!

Forgive or Hold a Grudge?

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-3

Sometimes we can be so quick to accuse others of anger or bitterness, but our view is colored by our own attitude of unforgiveness and unwillingness to have love and compassion and forgiveness... Verse says if you have a problem with your brother, go fix it before you come talking to God.. but what if we are too busy blaming the brother for the problem... the Bible talks about a root of bitterness growing up and that will choke out all love or mercy not to mention, making us ill physically... we Have to reconcile with those we have problems with Particularly if they are Christian brothers and sisters... its not good enough to just walk away and stay angry. That would be Sin.

Mark 11:25-27 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Must be Important if its in there more than once!

So if someone has offended you, particularly a Christian brother or sister, what is our obligation at that point...stay mad and write them off?  What if our obligation is to first Forgive, and then In Love, reconcile the relationship, and what if that person is in need of Ministering to... by not forgiving, are we leading them toward God or pushing them away... 

I don't want to be the one the is angry and pushing someone away from God because my feelings are hurt or I don't agree with their point of view!  This is important!  We can Never ever draw anyone to a better relationship with God if we As Christians Reject and condemn them.  

What does the Bible teach about forgiveness... 

   Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matt 18:32-35   that's pretty harsh... we get forgiven, we Best be forgiving others!

another parable...Luke 7:47  woman (probably a prostitute) anoints Jesus with oil, and He forgives her sins... Notice what He says about Love regarding forgiveness!!!!  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.   What this means...easy to see... if we forgive someone, they are going to love us more, therefore we have Much stronger Christian testimony with them.  Is that important, or is it more important to say they were Wrong and Hateful and we will just Ditch them and leave them for the devil to take?  Hmmm  

Something to think about!

These wooden shoes pinch

Just found out that Caitie's school will no longer offer middle and high school next year, after finding that out of district students would be charged...both kids $1050 a Month.... so had to find something else anyway.  What to do???  Seriously looked at home school again..but it was such a nightmare for all of us I just cant see doing that to ourselves!  Turns out the school that Caitie's PSR (Psych/social rehab) counselor was recommending is where it looks like she will be going.  Stephen will probably be going to the school right down the road from hers.  Hoping we can figure out how to get them there part way on the bus as both schools are in Lewiston. Its only about 15 minutes further everyday...each way... but what a Pain!  Anyway, they are much bigger schools and naturally I am worried about that!
Caitie is starting a business program thru a teacher at school... something like 4-H... she will be raising Netherland Dwarf rabbits.  Wayne laughed like crazy at me when I asked where Netherland was...um...duh...Holland.  Oh  so silly... seems we can't get out of Holland no matter how we try!
Working hard on school right now, I have 4 papers done, 2 in progress and then there will be only one left to finish my bachelors.  I will go right on into my masters.  I have learned so much its incredible, wish I were a better writer so I could put all my thoughts down.  So far all my thoughts are in my papers, but for my masters (if necessary) or my phd, I will have to gather it all together and make some sense of the whole thing.
Steve and his family have completely un-friended me on facebook, which in someways makes my life a little easier as I don't have to keep apologizing for him and his kids... but its so sad.  I don't understand why he has worked so hard at alienating his family from the rest of us.  He seems so bitter and hateful.  I just keep praying...probably have said too much since he won't listen anyway but I just have to try sometimes.  Seems like every time something happens it looks like I was being mean...at least to mom, who worries so much about them writing her off as they have done in the past.  So anyway,no facebook contact may just be what has to happen so there is no fighting....not reallly fighting with me as much as with Scott;s kids...the last go around was Ashley jumping all over Michelle about her daughters both having babies and "being married in the eyes of God" instead of legally... I tried to smooth things over and got jumped all over again and unfriended by Michelle now too.  Sigh... I tried my hardest but there is something wrong...and serious bitterness that won't allow Steve to have anything todo with the rest of the family.  It just breaks my heart, and mom can hardly stand it.  I don't know if dad even knows that Julia (16) is "married" and is also pregnant.  Sabrina is 18 now (I think) and her baby is already a year old!  Its hard not to say our opinions on this but anything to do with thier lives are totally off limits for conversation.  Ok I have ranted about that, ranted about school so I guess I will work on My school work while its nice and quiet...kids are at grandma's for the week...or until Gramma can't stand it any more!