Got Grace 2!

My life according to soccer

2008-07-09T22:41:00.012-05:00

No one ever told me that my husband would be infatuated with soccer/football and spend all of his waking moments, when he's not working on a sermon, watching, eating, sleeping, breathing, dreaming, web-surfing, and thinking about Euorpean and North American soccer/football. I've learned that my life is a lot like soccer. I've recently learned new words and definitions in my life. Are you ready? Words like: FIFA, Striker (not a baseball guy who swings and misses), MLS (not the real estate people, either), pitch (again, not a baseball reference), Sentanta Sports, Adidas (ok, I knew this one, but didn't realize how much it would infiltrate my life), Geordies, Ameobi, and The World Cup - by the way, did you know that soccer teams play two different tournaments at the same time? Now that's multi-tasking! (kind of like having 3 kids playing baseball on the same night, at the same time, at 3 different fields!) They play regularly scheduled league play and then on top of it they squeeze in World Cup or other National tournament games. So they can be Red-Carded or Yellow-Carded in one league, and still get to play in another - kind of like "do-overs." Oh yeah, add Red/Yellow Card to that vocab list too.

So I am now a fan of the Chicago Fire men's professional soccer team, as well as the new Chicago Red Stars women's pro team. I put on my red & white, my scarf (yet another vocab word), my Fire earrings, and head to Toyota Park to cheer with Section 8 (don't ask - you just have to experience it). Can't say I'm overly surprised though. This has been coming for a year now and it has become like an addiction. What's really funny is that I started going with Joe and the kids because it was a family function that everyone got into. It was something that we could all cheer for and not fight about (we've got Cubs, Sox, Braves, Bears, and other sports fans in this tribe and it can get pretty ugly at times). BUT, as the games have continued, there's something about standing in a crowd of 15,000 people all singing the same songs and chants cheering on our beloved Red and White. The community at TP (no, not the stuff you throw in trees) is really awesome and the Fire organization is top notch to it's fans. Not only that, but they picked the most awesome person in the whole wide world to be the very first Soccer Mom of the Match this year! (wink, wink!) This whole "football" thing is kind of fun. Maybe I should start giving my kids Yellows and Reds instead of timeouts? Hmmmm...food for thought.

Ramblings for this week

2007-11-13T10:27:00.000-06:00

The Chicago Fire lost against New England. Alas, our short season as new soccer fans is over (for now). I just found out that the European leagues play pretty much all year. Woo-hoo. I don't think there's one month in a calendar year that my family is not cheering for some type of sports team.

In VLI we just completed the Keirsey Temperment Test (Meyer-Briggs) and the DiSC Inventory. Very, very telling. It explains alot about how people in our church behave. It also shed a lot of light on our own children and why they act the way they do. Very interesting. I can't say I'm totally surprised by my results or by Joe's results. These tests pretty much pegged us, however there were a few points I kind of disagreed with. If you've never taken one of these inventories, I would encourage you to try one. Just "Google" them online - some of them are even free!

I've got another intensive this weekend (Acts & Missions) and a final in two weeks. Nathan and Ben's birthdays are next week and so is Turkey Day! Have a great Thanksgiving! :)

Brrr....and other stuff

2007-11-05T10:47:00.000-06:00

The wind is whipping through the trees, the clouds are dark gray and low to the ground, the temperature is dipping, and I've been cold for the past three days. It's not snowing (yet) but there's talk of flurries this week. I've had a busy two weeks. Took my midterms on Saturday so I spent Thursday and Friday studying. I think I did pretty well, but I won't find out until after we take the finals at the end of the month. Then we get a nice, loooonnnnngg winter break. YAHOO!

So, in the blink of an eye our family has become soccer freaks. Yes, soccer - Euorpean football - the pitch game - gooooooooaaaaaaaalllll! It all started with Joe and a newspaper (or magazine, I don't really remember) article about European football. He started looking into the English Premier League and attached himself to a blue-collar team called Newcastle United, Ltd. They wear black and white striped uniforms - like they're in jail - and they play hard. All of a sudden the terms "Manchester U, Arsenal, and Liverpool" have become common speech around here. So for Joe's birthday a few weeks ago I tried to get tickets to the Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy game. Beckham (as in, "Bend it Like...") plays for LA and it was the hottest ticket in town (unbeknownst to me). The GM that I spoke to on the phone offered me the only seats left in the house - barka loungers on the player's bench for a mere $250 each. I declined. Instead, Joe and I got tickets for all of us the following week to see the Chicago Fire play DC United in Chicago the following week. We had NO idea what we were in for (well, maybe Joe knew).

Let me just say this.......soccer/football fans are wild, crazy, and VERY passionate about their teams. Chicago has a group of fan clubs that you can join and they all sit in what's called "Section 8." They have chants, sing songs, bang drums, light smoke bombs, and cuss at the other team. We didn't sit in Section 8 (you have to have season tickets and be a fan club member to do that), but the Section 8 folks sure made the game fun. The kids loved it and we had a ball (no pun intended).

This has led to some interesting God moments at church. One of the young men attending church is from England. He's a big Manchester U fan and so he and Joe have been bantering back and forth about football. We get satellite TV at the church so they've been known to come in at 7am to watch a live European game every now and then. Another cool thing happened yesterday. We had a family visit us that we've met before, but this was their first time to the church. They are from Mexico and we have some friends in common. Well, Joe talked about football in his sermon yesterday, which led to discussions afterwards, which led to an impromtu viewing party at the church Thursday evening for the Chicago Fire playoff game vs. The Revolution from New England (go Fire!). Seems like God is working community into all of this and it's really cool. Joe also got invited by two people to join their men's soccer teams that play weekly. I'm not sure he's going for it - bad knees and all - but he may just show up to cheer them on.

So, that's my past week in a nutshell. Back to reality for me!

Check out the Poll

2007-10-25T11:23:00.001-05:00

I put a poll (because I'm bored) at the bottom of my page - go check it out! :)

Here's where I'm at today...

2007-10-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last year working through VLI (Vineyard Leadership Institute), which is equivalent to Seminary. It's tough work. It's a commitment, it's challenging, it's insightful, it's hard core truth, and sometimes it plain just hurts. I have given so much time, energy, sleep, and sanity over to completing this program. I'm at the half-way mark and I'm scheduled to graduate in June. I'm so tired. But I know that I can't give up. I have learned so much more than I bargained for.

I have grown so deeply in ways that I never expected. My faith has been challenged and revived; my deep-rooted beliefs have been ripped out of the soil they were planted in and replaced with Truth; my quiet time with God is being awakened; my views of the Church are changing and my awareness of gnosticicm and heresy is on the rise. I tolerate less and less bad theology and question everything more and more. I have seen where I've stood as a heretic (unknowingly) at times, and have repented. I have also seen where the Church (universal) has messed up and I have grieved. Learning Church history has been quite an eye-opener for this simple-minded girl. Wow. Being hungry for power and position will really mess stuff up. No wonder Jesus admonished Peter to serve and then washed his feet! If we can only just remember that we're to be feet washers instead of Pharisees.

We have a great group of people at the church. We've been whittled down and then raised back up over and over again, but this time I am sensing that things are going to be different. This group of people really likes each other. They are starting to get the hang of serving each other and serving the lost. They are developing a heart for the poor of our area and some are even taking that a few steps further. We are learning to love. We are learning, as a group of like-minded people, to really question the "words and prophecies" that are spreading around the Church and to really ask the Lord for wisdom. We are seeking HIM in all of this. This is good.

The seasons are changing and Fall is finally starting to arrive. The leaves are finally starting to fall and the winds are gaining strength. It feels like Fall. It also feels that way in my Spirit. I feel a sense of change coming to me, personally, and I'm trying to walk through it all. God is telling me to get quiet before Him. However, every time I try to do that I get distracted or something happens. I'm praying against distractions. I've been interrupted twice now in trying to write this post and have lost my stream of thought. UGH! I KNOW I need to "dial down," as Joe likes to say, and really try to listen for the heartbeat of God. I need to align with Him.

I took the kids yesterday to see the move, "The Ten Commandments" with Christian Slater, Ben Kingsley, and Elliot Gould. Once I got past the "Sims-City" animation it was a really good film. It was interesting, because it put a "face" to the story of Moses for my kids to see. They kept asking me during the movie, "Did God really do that? Is that how it really looked?" It caused me to really think about it. What got me the most was Moses' frustration with the Israelites - he always took that back to the Lord, and the depiction of God's cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. God's presence was so clear to see - and yet Scripture says that some don't hear His voice but only hear thunder. Did all those Israelites really see the cloud and the pillar, or just Moses and those who really believed? It affected me. I don't know if I can really explain it, but my desire to be one of the ones who really see/hear rose up in me. I believe there's a deeper connection to that and my quality of quiet time. I always want to keep God in the front. Follow the Ark and not my own roadmap. Go only where He's going. Do only what He's doing. I'm at a point of desperation that I just can't explain. I'm desperate for Jesus.

It's Here!

2007-07-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

I am so thrilled that The Angel Company has released it's new 2007-2008 Fall/Winter Catalogue! This is TAC's best ever and I am proud to be a part of a Christian organization that allows me to soar. The new papers and stamps are stunning and the prices are fabulous!

I didn't get to go to Seminar this year, but I am planning on going to Winter Retreat in January and to Seminar next June. I've put my TAC business on hold for the past six months to work on my schooling (which still rocks!) but I also have realized that this is a great avenue for me to bring in some extra money and to meet new people. To see my online catalogue or to order, check this out: http://cindyholda.ismyangel.net

Thanks for stopping by today! :) Cindy

Suffering for Jesus in the tropics!

2007-03-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

The VCF DeKalb group in Utudaro - the Interior of Puerto Rico - which was absolutely stunning. What a place to do a first time missions trip! Besides handing out over 7000 cards and pieces of candy in our servant evangelism trips, the midweek church service, and the prophetic ministry teams we did on Saturday, we got to play on the beach, see the beautiful plants and greenery, eat some interesting food (can you say "plantanos and rice and beans" boys and girls!) and meet some awesome people who love Jesus and have a passion to worship God. I would go back there in a heartbeat!

Puerto Rico here we come!

2007-02-25T20:28:00.000-06:00

This week Em and I are heading to Puerto Rico on a missions trip - and it's none too soon for me. I am sick of snow, sick of sleet, sick of cold, sick of slipping on the driveway, and sick of being cold. I'm excited for the adventure, which says alot at this point of the planning because I kind of have dreaded this trip without Joe going too, but we'll be ok. I'm a bit nervous too. I only know the people in the group I'm going with and I know very very very little Spanish. I know that my brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico are mostly bilingual, so I'm not freaked out, but I want to be able to communicate. I'm glad we'll each be given an interpreter during personal ministry times. I guess I'm also leading up one of two prophetic prayer teams and I'm looking forward to seeing what God does. Please pray for us if the Lord leads you to this post - our team appreciates your prayers!

I'll be back in about a week so keep an eye on Joe for me and don't let him go off the emergent/missional/theological/stir-crazy-from-the-kids deep end, ok? (Grin!)

Who needs a website?

2007-02-08T16:44:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah...I'm feelin' really dang good about myself today. I just updated our blog for the church - which really sucked (truth be told). I think it looks pretty spiffy right now. Might not even need that 'ole website after all? Well, maybe we do. But until then this new one looks waaaaaayy better than the old one....and I did it myself (look out DIY network! LOL!).

On another note, Joe and I have been contemplating (pun totally intended there) our values, mission statement, and purpose of the church. God has been really honing into us the fact that we need to get back to the original vision. Joe has posted a lot about this on his blog so I won't repeat, but it has been an exciting few weeks getting back to the original visions. I hope that people don't buck change too much though. We have some "moderns" who might not like what we have planned. Change is hard for anyone, but good change is well worth any pain or struggles. Remind me of that in about 2 months, ok?

cup a joe: What's the mission?

The Big Chill

2007-02-06T12:44:00.000-06:00

The cold continues today but now with cotton-ball sized snowflakes. I think the weather guys are predicting 4-5 inches. At this rate we may get snowed in by what I'm seeing out the kitchen window. The guy across the street is plowing his sidewalk and drive in the middle of all of this. I'm shivering just looking out.

The kids are bouncing off the walls and doing everything in their power to not do schoolwork today. Except Emily. I love 13 year olds who are self-guided. My sweetie is doing a science experiment as we speak, and is creating a fake fossil at the kitchen counter using a huge screw, plaster of paris, and some clay. Should be interesting.

Joe and I are playing with new toys today. He bought us iPods and they arrived yesterday. We are such geeks - ok, well maybe Joe's more of a geek than me because Emily had to show me how to turn it on, how to maneuver the menus, and how to adjust the volume. Joe's excuse for this grandiose purchase (more than we should've spent) was my upcoming Puerto Rico missions trip at the end of the month - "it's a long plane ride, ya know?" So who am I to refuse a wonderful little ditty such as an iPod? Oh my gosh! I have been in "iTunes world" for the past 24 hours and am finding all sorts of goodies to subscribe to and download. I think I'm getting addicted already. Now the boys are asking for Shuffles.

So in VLI we're learning how to break down the book of Ephesians using literary analysis (genre). Last night's class was fascinating and also a bit overwhelming. Steve Robbins, PhD.(our instructor) gave us a list of Bible dictionaries, concordances, history books, etc...that he recommends we use for further study. I have some shopping to do. I'm really enjoying this class, though, and am looking at Ephesians, as well as Paul's other letters, in a whole new light. We have our Intensive Class this weekend on the minor prophets - it's a 10.5 hour class in 1 1/2 days. I hate these intensive because it's a huge informational class jam packed into a short period of time, and we only get one week to learn the material before we're tested. I guess that's why they call it an "Intensive" but I still hate the short study time. I'm very kinsethetic in my learning style and it doesn't work well for me to cram. Say a little prayer for me this weekend, ok?

I need to get back to schooling and downloading the rest of my CD's onto iTunes. So far so good - but my last CD just finished. Stay warm! :)

The Frozen Chosen

2007-02-05T11:11:00.000-06:00

Brrrrrrr.... it's a balmy -26 degrees here today (with the wind chill). The public schools have canceled classes for today and my darling sweeties think that they now have the day off too. Boy are they WRONG! That's the joy of homeschooling - I don't have to tie myself to the public school calender...much to my kid's chagrin. Oh well. Phonics Tutor here we come! My son, Nathan, thinks it's totally unfair that he has to do school today when his friends in the neighborhood don't have to do their studies, but then I calmly explained to him that he gets to take four days in the very near future to go to the indoor water park up in the Wisconsin Dells while all the school kids are at school (gotta love those mid-week rates!). So while we freeze we get to review our mathematics tables and read some awesome literature. I think I'll get a fire going too.

I'd like to shout out a HELLO! to my new RevGalPals. Thanks for all the warm welcomes and for checking out my blog. I know my bio is a bit "exhausting" and I'm the queen of run-on sentences, but it's really not that bad! LOL! I'm blessed to be surrounded by all of you.

Self Portrait

2007-02-03T14:41:00.000-06:00

So, I found this link from a fellow RevGalPal and thought I'd check it out...lots 'o fun for when you're bored.....

cup a joe: 100th Post

2007-02-02T18:45:00.000-06:00

So congrats to my honey for his 100th post! WTG Babe!

cup a joe: 100th Post

Christian Blogger Survey

2007-02-02T17:05:00.000-06:00

I recently participated in a Christian Blogger Survey put on by Rick Warren and his folks. Although I am not into the "Purpose Driven" stuff but am focused on Kingdom Theology, it was an interesting survey and I agreed to list the other participants. Hopefully these are all Christians and their blogs reflect Jesus. I don't have time to click on the whole list right now so I take no responsibility for any icky, if any, un-Christ-like content you may click on. Here goes:

http://emergingwomen.blogspot.com
http://julieclawson.blogspot.com
http://www.post-methodist.blogspot.com
http://edbuford.blogs.com
http://jeffsmithspeaks.blogspot.com/index.html
http://www.churchcommunicationspro.com
http://friesville.net/blog
http://ministrymarketingcoach.com
http://markkelly.wordpress.com
http://johnsmulo.com
http://douglast.com/thoughts/
http://www.thebellsite.com
http://www.ghostofmediocrity.blogspot.com
http://morethanstone.blogsome.com
http://davedavis.typepad.com/
http://theflippingsweetblog.blogspot.com
http://blog.aspiringindie.com
http://www.spirittalks.blogspot.com
http://www.chriselrod.com
http://microexplosion.com
http://levite.wordpress.com
http://www.learning2beastoryteller.blogspot.com
http://billspondering.blogspot.com
http://dhfriss.typepad.com
http://www.imageforth.com
http://www.despuesdeldomingo.com
http://www.mattandnancy.org
http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com
http://www.valuetheprocess.wordpress.com
http://themerge.blogspot.com
http://semilladeamorgt.blogspot.com
http://www.mattsingley.com
http://timsweatman.blogspot.com
http://www.jenniclayville.com
http://www.anotherstorm.com
http://elblogdecristianosh.blogspot.com
http://kelly94942.blogspot.com
http://www.melindalgroth.blogspot.com/
http://www.churchrelevance.com
http://www.lapalabra.ws/blogs
http://www.twelvewitnesses.com
http://thoughtsofacountrypreacher.blogspot.com/
http://knhamann.blogspot.com/
http://lizziesotola.com/
http://jdblundell.blogspot.com
http://jason.voxtropolis.com/
http://www.rwbooth.com
http://www.decloaked.blogspot.com
http://www.davetilma.com
http://debbie-thoughtsof.blogspot.com/
http://www.theclayvilles.typepad.com/brian
http://estudios-biblicos.blogspot.com
http://elcalvario.us/quicuj
http://arator.wordpress.com
http://www.xanga.com/rtsguy
http://la-guarida-del-perro.blogspot.com
http://forgodssakeshutup.blogspot.com
http://www.determinacionhoy.net
http://discipleshipmeanderings.wordpress.com
http://www.challies.com
http://www.allensonthe.net
http://nanolog.blogspot.com
http://donniejohnson.blogspot.com
http://missionsconnexion.com/cs
http://tonydye.typepad.com
http://www.brianeberly.com
http://www.curtbradford.typepad.com/
http://www.gavin.inthebackyard.com
http://communionreflections.blogspot.com
http://www.victorychristianfellowship.net/index.php?page=blog
http://www.timothymyson.blogspot.com
http://www.rbcgrace.com/deanblog/index.html
http://www.youthguy68.blogspot.com
http://www.digitalchurch.com.au
http://djs-book-rants.blogspot.com/
http://www.robertpooley.org
http://wideworldof.blogspot.com/
http://www.revunplugged.blogs.com
http://www.xanga.com/welcometotheedge
http://www.collinwimberly.blogspot.com
http://www.thecrossers.com/blog
http://atravelersjourney.blogspot.com/
http://kairosofthisworld.blogspot.com/
http://revnorman.blogspot.com/
http://www.soomah.de
http://leadingsmart.com
http://www.pontiacbible.org/brian
http://tianke.multiply.com/
http://mountain-top-musings.blogspot.com/
http://discipletim.blogspot.com/
http://www.macmike.typepad.com
http://mcfaddencircle.blogspot.com
http://getanchored.blogspot.com
http://bucketsfromgoldie.blogspot.com
http://www.leslieherron.typepad.com
http://www.adoracionyartes.blogspot.com
http://johnnyleckie.blogspot.com
http://www.ridleybarron.blogspot.com
http://www.davebowmanonline.com
http://www.kevinpurcell.org
http://www.evtales.com
http://checkyourcompass.blogspot.com/
http://theoskaris.blogspot.com
http://www.samshaw.wordpress.com
http://zayasbazan.blogspot.com/
http://www.explorechrist.blogspot.com
http://gracepages-mbc.blogspot.com/
http://www.morganchurchdevotional.blogspot.com/
http://2timothy22.blogspot.com
http://www.mixmastersean.blogspot.com
http://www.freedombc.org
http://velocityhsm.blogspot.com/
http://josue.townhall.com
http://www.echalelena.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/ncm.pcc.syl
http://www.anopendoerr.com
http://www.rockc3.com
http://www.youthministryhilarity.blogspot.com
http://otbthinking.blogspot.com/
http://www.cowboycountrychurch.com
http://www.xanga.com/apolizzi
http://www.newlifebrisbane.blogspot.com
http://straightfrompastor.blogspot.com
http://lifeofchrisrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/
http://arktrav.blgspot.com
http://www.jurgenvandenherik.nl
http://www.johannesrueschel.de
http://hufi.blogspot.com
http://www.completinggodsmission.com
http://cobbsinger.blogspot.com
http://fellowshipdayz.blogspot.com/
http://bridgecommunity-mike.blogspot.com/
http://www.jonathaneverette.blogspot.com
http://thegatheringplacehome.blogspot.com
http://www.seabourn.org
http://www.gupdate.blogger.com
http://www.jonathaneverette.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/morelikeyou
http://www.preacherjoe.blog
http://theworldfrommywindow.blogspot.com/
http://www.attemptedphilosophyblog.blogspot.com
http://www.amandaowen3.blogspot.com
http://www.pastorsview.blogspot.com
http://severnrun.wordpress.com
http://waitingforsunday.com
http://www.lynda.pongracz.blogspot.com
http://reverandd.bravejournal.com/
http://oncoffee.blogspot.com
http://www.otherstudentministry.com/blog.cfm
http://www.jayhardwick.com
http://www.stonecreekchurch.com
http://www.unfoldingneurons.com
http://the-beat-goes-on.blogspot.com
http://www.fbcsulphur.org
http://evenyou.blogspot.com
http://now-lets-see.blogspot.com/
http://becoming.voxtropolis.com
http://emilioetaty.multiply.com
http://hblogcpj.blogspot.com/
http://marshilltop.blogspot.com/
http://jeffreycrawford.blogspot.com
http://www.thewhatisup.blogspot.com
http://www.trevorscott.vox.com
http://www.gmchurch.org/blog
http://blog.myspace.com/servingtheking
http://chipsanders.blogspot.com
http://tommyham/typepad.com
http://www.highercallingchurch.blogspot.com
http://www.livingwatermuscatine.com
http://www.thislamp.com
http://blog.myspace.com/nathanhyde
http://www.bibleblog.typepad.com
http://www.peanutsizzler.blogspot.com
http://danmoore.livejournal.com/
http://www.cmol.org
http://mikebellanti.voxtropolis.com/
http://lenscleanse.blogspot.com
http://www.darinsrealtruth.blogspot.com
http://www.graceforme.org
http://jeffsmithspeaks.blogspot.com/
http://www.simplyhsp.multiply.com
http://untilsunday.blogspot.com
http://www.umbl0g.blogspot.com
http://www.lorenhicks.typepad.com
http://caldjr.blogspot.com
http://www.thewallah.blogspot.com
http://www.louicanchola.typepad.com
http://www.tommyhargrove.blogspot.com
http://leehodges.blog.com/
http://www.growingtogether.net
http://www.nathanrice.org/
http://sdmkp.blogspot.com
http://www.360.yahoo.com/genblessings
http://www.donbillie/myspace.com
http://www.pastorjohnccc.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.ministrycenter.blogspot.com
http://www.brassworld.blogspot.com
http://www.pastoringonpurpose.com
http://www.kimzweygardt.com
http://tonymorganlive.com
http://www.andrewcairns.com
http://www.paulpeterson.wordpress.com
http://freshfaithworship.blogspot.com/
http://www.newhopeaubrey.com/consume/consume.htm
http://www.markbatterson.com
http://www.runwithgod.com
http://www.sequimur.com/banditsnomore
http://www.kemmeyer.com
http://www.danieldecker.net
http://www.adventurefaith.blogspot.com
http://michaeldeutsch.blogspot.com
http://www.xanga.com/timsmithxa
http://tonystewardblog.com
http://p-robspot.blogspot.com/
http://www.johnnylaird.blogspot.com/
http://chadkmiller.blogspot.com
http://www.anchorite.org/blog
http://www.e-devotion.blogspot.com/
http://chriswhitehead.blogspot.com/
http://nathandiehl.com
http://girlrev-cindy.blogspot.com
http://www.revsonic.org
http://jameslaws.typepad.com/
http://elhammond.vox.com/
http://www.georgejromano.blogspot.com
http://www.faithengineer.com
http://edbuford.blogs.com
http://www.stevansheets.com
http://baileythoughts.wordpress.com
http://barryclarke.blogspot.com
http://lizardsmommy.blogspot.com
http://wonderingthoughtsbyjoe.blogspot.com/
http://achristianchronicle.blogspot.com/
http://www.blurty.com
http://theviewfromosprey.blogspot.com/
http://trydyingtolive.blogspot.com
http://www.genejennings.com
http://ericmesselt.blogspot.com/
http://www.InsightsfromRick.com
http://chuckmusselwhite.com
http://www.stanchfieldbaptist.com
http://pastorjohn58.blogspot.com
http://rpc-foundation.blogspot.com
http://www.discoverychurchjason.blogspot.com
http://www.simplystudents.blogspot.com
http://www.wdmbarker.blogspot.com
http://www.timschmoyer.com
http://www.serialyouthpastor.blogspot.com
http://gondimenespanol.blogspot.com
http://www.pastorbrad.org
http://www.ridgethoughts.blogspot.com/
http://www.xanga.com/revshortridge
http://jonsampson.blogspot.com
http://juniorhigh.blogs.com/joshuamichael
http://www.wideopensecrets.blogspot.com
http://studying-by-grace.blogspot.com
http://undertheeagleswing.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/blogpastor_charlie
http://mattandmeganmckee.blogspot.com
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http://www.revitalizeyourchurch.blogspot.com
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http://www.myspace.com/stevepatient
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http://jasondeuman.com
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http://journals.aol.com/marqduncan/the-bishop-blog/
http://suzy.theshipmans.co.uk/blog/
http://www.CriesOfTheHeart.com
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http://dancort.gospelmais.com.br
http://www.marriagevictory.com
http://www.videoadoracao.blogspot.com
http://www.blindbeggar.org
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http://davethepastor.vox.com/
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://www.newhopevalp.org/blogger.html
http://itslikeherdingcats.blogspot.com/
http://www.prayershake.blogspot.com
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http://www.dennyburk.com
http://stevebishop.blogspot.com
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http://cantodojo.blogspot.com/
http://gotgrace2.blogspot.com <-----YOU ARE HERE! :)http://littlepastor.blogspot.com
http://julieclawson.blogspot.com
http://www.larzmarshall.blogspot.com
http://e-devotion.blogspot.com/
http://faithfulweb.wordpress.com
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http://www.alliancefriendschurch.org
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http://countercultureblog.com
http://rickwarren.typepad.com

The Other Bible

2007-02-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

I found this blog post on Real Live Preacher today - it made my morning and rings true in this house (ahem...)!
The Other Bible

Callings and Chocolate

2007-02-01T13:58:00.000-06:00

God lit a fire under me! We put on a women's retreat last weekend at the church using Group's Chocolate Boutique. The theme was "Taste and see that the Lord is good." We ate a lot of chocolate and talked about how God's grace is like chocolate - it's extravagant. We had a lot of fun and it turned out fairly well. I'm pleased with what God did. He really was very gracious to the women who attended and He really ignited this passion in me to teach and preach. The lessons were very evangelical in approach and, although Scripturally sound, I really wanted to go deeper with the text. Our focus was John 2:1-11, the Wedding at Cana, so I got some of Joe's commentaries, read articles on the Internet, and practically rewrote all of my three talks. It was invigorating, scary, intriguing, nerve wracking, and humbling, but I loved every minute of it. When the Spirit started to flow and I got to just relax, be myself, and share what God had revealed to me, I felt very much in my element. I sound like I am boasting so badly, but I had several women come up to me on Sunday and tell me that the insights I shared really affected them. Some of them had never viewed Jesus' Kingdom coming or the Wedding of the Lamb through the wedding at Cana, and it gave them food for thought. I love when God does that! I love leading worship, but I don't think that's all God has for me. I think when He brings other worship leaders here that I'll be able to step into other things that He is calling me to do. I also discovered (although I already knew it deep down) that selling rubber stamps and scrapbooking stuff is not my end-all in life and that God has much, much more for me to do.

I have been taking VLI classes for the last two quarters and I have another year and a half to go. The revelation I've received from the Lord and from these classes has been awesome. The work is hard but I love digging in, going deeper, and really learning. I hated school as a kid. I hated high school, and I didn't care much for college (although I did well when I was there). But this is different. The Word is coming alive to me in new ways and I love the hermeneutics and exegesis of it all. I love the historical backgrounds and the context. I love seeing what the Lord is revealing as I read and study.

I have NO ambitions to become "Senior Pastor" one day or to do what Joyce Meyer or Beth Moore do on a National level, but I do want to be faithful with what the Lord is giving to me and I want to share with other women. I think -- no, I know -- that I have a calling on my life to teach and preach the Word of God, and now I have to continue to "study to show myself approved..." and to go for it whenever He gives me the opportunity to do so. My prayer is that I'm not the only one who sees this calling on my life and that the Lord will confirm it with others. I don't want to kid myself into thinking I'm "all that" if I'm not. I want to be humble in everything I do. However, I also want to operate and function in my callings. This is a lot for me to digest right now. So busy. So tired at times. So challenged too. I'm also writing a children's curriculum for Kids Church, training the teachers, gathering supplies, and still leading worship. If you're reading this, please pray that I have the strength, wisdom, grace, and patience to do all this stuff. Thanks.

6 Degrees - Help our food pantry

2007-01-23T20:01:00.000-06:00

I just found this site that will accept donations for not-for-profits. The charity with the most donations between now and March will win a boatload of cash. Our food pantry is up and coming and we're getting to the point that we need good working freezers, fridges, and more storage space. Any donation you could make would go to great use to feed the folks of DeKalb County. We are right downtown and have been ministering to 75-100 people each Saturday. They come to us because we supply meats and fresh fruits/veggies. Most of the other pantries in town are canned goods only. Would you be willing to help us make a difference? Thanks so much!

It's a Small World Afterall

2006-12-21T13:23:00.000-06:00

Warning: Senseless rambling is about to begin: Gotta love the folks at Disney. I mean, they have it all together. They know how to market, they know how to advertise and promote, they know how to put on a show, and they know how to convice you that dropping $300 on 4 days of park admissions is really worth it. Joe and I just spent the last week at Dinsey in Florida on a get-away without the kids. They were disappointed. We had fun.

But as I rode our little boat through the "It's A Small World" ride I came to the conclusion that it was all too polished and squeaky clean. They rehabbed that ride in 2004 to clean it up and make it pretty again. But what would have been portrayed if they hadn't cleaned up the ride? What if we saw all the paint chips and the animatronics that didn't move anymore. Would it ruin the ride or the fantasy of it all? Probably. However, I got to thinking about the Church during that ride. There are many different cultures in the Church. Some churches are very polished and put on quite a show. Others haven't been updated in years and are fledgling. It made me realize that we are in such a consumer-driven era of church attendance. It's pretty sad.

We got a postcard in the mail while we were gone from the new "megachurch" in town. It was inviting us to their Christmas celebrations this weekend. It said that they want to keep Christ in Christmas. I found this all very ironic because this was the same church that didn't hold Christmas services last year so that it could give the day off to it's staff. It said last year that families should spend that day together and not get bogged down by a church service. Is there something wrong with me? I kind of thought Christmas was one of the Church's finest holidays to share the Gosepl. Heck, even Disney did it with their Candelight Show at the American Pavilion in Epcot. They shared the Gospel, sang many spiritual songs and hymns, and ended with a bang up version of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. It was awesome! My spirit soared and I prayed for the people there that night. God's name will not be mocked and He'll even use Disney to share His story!

Maybe if we can focus more on relationships and community then people will be drawn to our congregations. Maybe they'll see through all the polish, tinsel, and bling and realize that they heart of the people is really what makes a church a church. Maybe they'll get touched by the Kingdom of God and never be the same again. I would rather worship in a run-down building with a lot of character than sit in an auditorium seat and a laser light show for Chrismtas...but that's just me.

Your mom is.....

2006-10-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

Out of the mouth of *cute* teenage babes..... So my dd has just recently been allowed to participate in Instant Messaging - with moderation from her dad and me. Invasion of privacy? Nope. Not in today's society with all the creeps and weirdos out there in cyberspace. But anywhoo.... so for the first few weeks I left it unchecked becuase I didn't want to be the nosy mom. I want her to have "some" freedom. Well, the other night I get home and she meets me at the bottom of the family room steps. The computer is around the corner and it's clear she doesn't want me to see what she's saying on the IM. I ask her to move aside and proceed to read. She's talking to one of the girls from our youth group, who I find out, has the mouth of a garbage can. Further, her friend went on to say that she saw my picture on my website and that I look much older in real life than I do in that picture. Older? I'm not even topping 40 yet and I look OLDER???? Ouch. I've been on this lifestyle change (diet) since August and have lost over 20 pounds. I've cut all whites out of my diet, as well as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils & fats. I've been feeling PRETTY DARN GOOD about myself lately and this was a blow to the gut! Ok, so I have some grey hair. Ok, so there are the makings of crows feet around my eyes, but geesh! Old???? So I asked my dd how old "old" really is. Her response, "I don't know, Mom. 5o?" Well if that's old, then I look pretty stinking good for my age! :)

Frustrated

2006-10-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

I'm frustrated today. Stuff is going down and it's making me really frazzled. Sometimes being in ministry really stinks.

Strange

2006-10-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine sent this to me. I know it's circulating the net, but I found it........Strange.....

1. Isn't it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?
2. Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?
3. Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?
4. Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or ZANE GREY book?
5. Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?
6. Isn't it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?
7. Isn't it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?
8. Isn't it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say, but we question the words in the Bible?
9. Isn't it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?
10. Isn't it strange how we send jokes in e-mails and they are forwarded right away, but when we are going to send messages about God, we think about it twice before we share it with others?
IT'S STRANGE ISN'T IT?

2006-08-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Hey! Check this out:

http://cindyholda.ismyangel.net

I'd love to hear your feedback or comments on my new site! I'm really excited bout the way it has turned out.

Long time, no post

2006-08-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

Seminar was great. I love this company!

Kids are doing great. They're happy to have a break this summer - and the pool in our backyard helps too.

Joe is handling life the best he can (more on that in a minute).

Church is going fairly well. Slow and steady....

Got all my school books/supplies for this upcoming year - all still in boxes in my family room.

It's 11:50pm on Saturday night and I'm at the church waiting for Em to come back from Engram. I have a headache, the kids are still awake in the other office, and I have to be back here in 7 short hours for worship & prayer. Got my set done. YEAH!

Then there's this little issue of my time with God. As in, why is it that lately when I go to have quiet time, soaking time, or just plain 'ole "Oh God, why???" times that I always get interrupted. Without fail. Every time. I know this is complaining, but it's getting out of control. I want my prayer closet (literally) back!

Stuff is happening in the parental realms that I'm really not too happy about. Poor Joe has had a horrific few weeks in dealing with his mom. She has just been diagnosed with Paget's Disease of the Bone, as well as NPH. They can't do surgery because of the lack of integrity in her skull - it will cause non-stoppable bleeding if they do the NPH procedure. The NPH is causing dementia, so she is being officially moved into the health care center with Henry. Joe & I get to move her stuff on Monday. Then there's stuff up on the other side of the spectrum that I just don't want to go into right now. I'm so glad that God is sovereign in all of this and that He's in control - 'cause if I had to have a say in all of it I'm sure I'd screw it up.

I also want to start pondering the topic of women as Sr. pastors. Had an interesting time at the Vineyard Regional conference a few weeks ago and some stuff happened that made me think. I'll bounce those off of you later tho. I'm tired and I need to go see if Em is here yet. Thanks for your patience with my lack of typing. Thanks also for your prayers - I could use a few miracles right now.

Blessings & peace

Seminar bound...

2006-06-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it. Only one more day and then I'm off to The Angel Company's annual seminar in Kansas City. As it turns out, I've had a stomach bug for the last two days and haven't been able to complete my swaps. I spent most of yesterday in bed. I'm really bummed. Not that I HAVE to get these done, but it would've been fun to swap with everyone there. I just don't know how I would get 150 cards, a prop swap, my t-shirt decorated, get my laundry finished and packed, print out my new biz cards, and clean the house before I go. SIGH..... It should be fun despite my lack of cards though. Please pray for safe travel and flights. I'll be home early Sunday morning (Happy Fathers Day, Joe!). :)

VCM was ok. A few people showed up and we had a nice time. Jen, you are welcome to come any time we get together (I think the 2nd Friday of each month??). Makes for a nice, cheap date night, eh? I was surprised that those who did attend had never seen the movie before. Next month's pick is mine - all about a memorable arranged meeting at the top of the Empire State building (we can't promote the movie name because of copyright issues). It should be fun.

I got my hair chopped off this morning. Grandma made a comment to me this past weekend about how grey I was getting (she's one to talk), and mom made a comment about how long it was getting. I decided it was time for a change. It's not super-short, but it's certainly not as long as it has been lately. With the weather getting hotter, I decided to do something to get it off my neck. This cut is ok. I'm not in love with it and am still getting used to it. The first thing Sarah said to me when I walked into the house was "hi mom. You got your hair done short like aunt Colette?" sheesh. Cole and I have been through the hair thing for a long time. We seem to go in phases where we are cutting or growing out our hair the exact same way - without ever seeing each other. I saw her on Saturday and she's got it super short and thinned out with bangs. I guess mine is similar, but with a lot more hair on the back of my head.

Well, the kids are itching to eat lunch and go swimming. I'm off to take more immodium (yuck). I'm going to help my friends Pete and Alice move into their first home this afternoon. They've moved to DeKalb and I'm happy to have them so close by. Melanie has moved up from Georgia this past week too - we need to get her and her mom, Julia, a place to live. It's nice to be surrounded by friends.

my baby's growing up....

2006-06-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

Sigh.... it has hit me hard recently that my baby is growing up. The divine Ms. Em is turning 13 (!!!) in a few weeks and will become an official teenager. Holy cow. I know this is a bit cliche-ish, but it feels like just yesterday she was 8 weeks premature and hooked up to all sorts of tubes and machines in the NICU. She was sooooo tiny. Now she is growing into an absolutely beautiful young woman. She loves God, she loves to worship, she loves dance, cook, read books, and hang with her friends. She's not a little girl anymore. (Can you see all of the grey in my hair? Can you? It's there, and it's increasing daily - no joke. Now I know why ladies color their hair. Ugh).

All four of my children are such a blessing to me and I am amazed at all of the growing up they're doing. Yesterday the four of them went swimming in our pool for an hour, and when they got out the boys had "grown" more freckles all over their faces....they're covered in little brown spots all over their cheeks, chins, foreheads, and noses. So cute! I've been feeling pressed to get a family portrait done soon. Our last one was when Nathan was a baby (bad me!). Time to call the photographer. I want to capture those cute freckles and smiles on film.

So I got a trial pair of contact lenses yesterday afternoon. I haven't worn lenses in about 10 years and decided to get them again. Spent most of today in them. They're ok. It's gonna take some time to get used to them. My left lens is not quite perfect, so I think we'll have to do some tweaking. Had to take them off around 5:30pm - too much for the first day. Getting them in and out was pretty easy, though. Just like riding a bike.

I also went to Curves in DeKalb on Wednesday to check them out. I hate the way I look. Em said she'd go with me, so I went and priced it out. Kind of expensive to join, but manageable monthly, so I think we're gonna take the plunge and do it together. Hopefully it will be good for us.

Seminar is less than a week away and I am so anxious and excited. I'm working on my swaps and Cherub T-Shirt (the group I belong to). I wish Theresa and Katie could go with me. Oh well...maybe next year. I have a debut party for the new catty on June 24th. So far I only have one RSVP - hope my year starts off better than just one attendee. Gotta hit the phones!

Now I'm rambling. Tonight is Classic Movie Night here at La Vina. Joe picked a Bogart film (which I will not name) as his pick. We're gonna hang, eat popcorn, and discuss the finer things of Bogey and Bacall. The kids are watching Chicken Little. Should be an interesting evening.

"Of all the gin joints in the world...." better go! :)