Here’s Fred, our family pet, dressed for the frigid weather.
Fred in his winter coat
I’m still enjoying my reflections on a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. All of our family was able to be together here at our house for turkey and last Monday I was able to briefly visit with my parents in Texas as well. I am so thankful for the blessing of family and the love we share.
Now that Christmas season is upon us, we’re gearing up for the next big holiday. Although my decorating skills leave much to be desired, I’ve tried to set aside my insecurities and start getting our Christmas decorations up. One of my struggles though is that at my age time flies by so fast that it seems like I just finish getting everthing in place when it’s time to take it all down again!
I am really looking forward to the new message series that starts this week. Mark usually shares his thoughts with me, so I get some great previews of what’s coming. I also got to see the stage decorations as they were going up during the week. It’s amazing! Dale Poore and his team always manage to top their last project with more creative genius!
I’m also excited to get back with my Starting Point groups after our break for Thanksgiving. I get to know so many people through SP and I love that!
Have you ever awakened from a deep sleep and felt the need to ask the nearest person what your name was? Although I haven’t been sleeping deeply (thanks to a head cold), I have been spinning with excitement over all things going on in my life and I’m a little dizzy.
What does it take to make me dizzy? Some major milestone events, lots of new friends, a family holiday and a head cold.
Our Discovery Reception on November 16 was absolutely packed with over 100 people attending. We had to abandon our usual arrangement of beautifully decorated tables and set up rows of chairs, which were all taken and we had to add more during the morning.
Last weekend, four new Starting Point groups launched (which is a record for number of new groups beginning on one weekend). I am leading two of the four and it is a thrill to get to know all of the group members and hear their stories. I love taking the Starting Point journey again with brand new friends!
I’m thrilled that last weekend we had almost 3,100 people at NewSpring, although we are now facing some serious logistical challenges. Everyone in the 11 o’clock service was so kind to move in close and help everyone find a seat. The traffic is also a challenge as we dismiss the 9:30 service and welcome those coming to the 11 o’clock service.
After a couple of days of long staff meetings, we prepared for company to arrive at our house for the holiday. Jonathan, Wendy & Cheyenne arrived on Wednesday and I’ve had so much fun cooking with and playing with Cheyenne. Of course everyone else was great to visit with as well, but being Nana is the most fun!
I hope everyone has had a lovely Thanksgiving and returns safely home from their travels. We have such an exciting future together here at NewSpring!
Mary Alice
With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I’m reminded of many things I’m thankful for:
- I’m not trying to pack and move over the holiday weekend like we did last year
- All of our family is planning to be together for the holiday
- All of our family is safe and healthy and we are looking forward to the newest additions to be added in 2009 — one by birth and one by marriage
- I have met MANY new friends at NewSpring during the last 12 months
- Over 100 people came to Discovery last Sunday
- 43 people are signed up to begin Starting Point this weekend
- Most of all, I’m thankful for the wonderful memories of the past, the delicious blessings of the present and the indescribable future life God has in store for me along with all those in His family
I pray that each of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Our little dog, Fred having now recovered from his frightening experience with the ducks last spring, has now settled into a regular routine. He goes out the front door for short breaks and when he’s ready to come back in, he sits in front of the sidelight window beside the front door. He sits patiently, peering in as he waits for the door to be opened to allow him back inside.
A couple of nights ago, I was about to let Fred out for a break, but as I stepped toward the front door, I thought I saw a little animal sitting in front of that side window by the front door. As I got closer, I could see that a very small, but brave and hopeful little mouse was standing (not sitting) on the ledge of the side window. His little pointed nose was held high and his tail stretched out behind him, as if he were imitating the dog he saw standing there many times each day. Maybe he was hopeful that I would open the door and let him in just as I did for Fred.
On the other hand, maybe he had observed the neighborhood kids receiving candy when they came to the door a few nights ago. In any event, I was very curious what would cause this little otherwise shy animal to be brave enough to step up to the front door.
Even when I came up to the door with Fred beside me looking out, the mouse seemed unafraid and stood there expectantly. After a couple of minutes, I tapped on the window and he scampered away, but I’ll not soon forget our little unexpected visitor.
This morning about 5:00, I started watching the news. I checked out the cable news channels, surfed over to CNBC for a little business to see what went on overseas during the night, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before I got the obligatory sour stomach. Do you get the idea that the talking heads (experts in their minds) don’t have a clue? I was told, years ago, that all you have to do to be an expert, is travel three-hundred miles away from home and carry a fancy leather briefcase. Today you only need to get yourself on cable news and yell louder than the other experts.
No kidding, though. I get the feeling that the media types who are trying to explain it all to Joe the Plumber are foggier than we are. On one channel I caught this expert selling the idea that Iran is really our friend. That behind all that death to America rhetoric and nuclear proliferation, they’re really crazy about the USA, and can’t wait to sit down and discuss with us how to help create a stable Iraq. He added that despite the saber rattling, Iran was just fine with Israel. How about a verse of Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
If that’s not enough to get you woozy, check out the expert spinmeisters weighing in on what a McCain or Obama administration would look like. If I were a betting man, with all the craziness going on, I’d bet not even McCain or Obama know what their administrations are going to look like.
What’ll really get you talking to yourself is watching business news. Bulls and bears have been replaced by calves in hailstorms. The expert guys and gals stare into the camera and give us their opinions, but being a longtime communicator, I recognize that look. It says, I don’t have the foggiest notion what’s going to happen, but the camera is on me and I have to say something.
After about a half-hour of that, I came up for air, and went into the living room where Mary Alice was working on tonight’s talk. For the last few weeks at Powerlines, (Bible discussion that she and I host Wednesday nights at 6:30) we’ve been looking at prophecy and things that are going to happen at the end of this age. Tonight, we’re planning a discussion on the last battle, Armegeddon, and the millennial reign of Jesus on the earth. Heavy but extremely exciting stuff!
Juxtaposing my news surfing against what she had been doing recalibrated my thinking. I’d been listening to people, who although smart, really have no idea what’s going to happen. Mary Alice was reading the Word of Someone who not only KNOWS what’s going to happen but CONTROLS outcomes! Suddenly I remembered the words of a very old song, one of the first my dad taught me. The chorus goes like this:
Many things, about the future
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand
Mark
As Americans, our future looks very precarious at best in these days of financial disaster, war and spiritual bankruptcy. I hope each Christian will pray fervently for God to guide our leaders — whoever they might be. I also hope that each Christian will carefully consider the issues of today in light of God’s Word as they participate in choosing our leaders for the future. I was recently asked about how to choose a leader as I consider the upcoming election. It was startling to me in that discussion that not only was the matter of faith and conscience considered low on the list for evaluating a candidate, but integrity also seemed to be easily traded for the promise of personal prosperity. We have sunk very low here in the USA. Many times lately I’ve felt a little bit like George Bailey in the popular Christmas Movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. Remember when George is stumbling through “Pottersville,” shocked at the moral decline of his beloved hometown? It was just a bad dream for him, but for us today it is reality.
At Powerlines on Wednesday nights, we’ve been talking about end time events and I want to share a link to an interesting article that was posted today by Joel Rosenberg.
Whatever our future may be here in the United States, I hope we will be found faithful about our Master’s work in these last days.
There are so many things that have happened over the last several weeks that I’m excited about! Every week at NewSpring we are hearing from people that have prayed to receive Christ during one of our weekend services. In the last four weeks alone, 34 people have prayed to receive Christ! Just since our amazing Watermark service on August 24, a total of fifty-five people have accepted Christ! And that only includes those who have responded in the main services and doesn’t include any decisions made in KidzWorld, Project 628, or Clayhouse.
It has been amazing to see God work with such great power in people’s lives during the Pillow Talk series. Mark has received many, many emails, phone calls, and personal messages describing how God has and is using this series to change lives and restore marriages. If you missed one of the messages, you can watch it online.
Don’t miss the upcoming series Running which begins this weekend. If you didn’t have an opportunity to see the promotional video last weekend, check it out!
God is busy doing amazing things and I’ve so excited to have a front row seat! For many years I heard stories about God miraculously changing hearts and lives — usually in a far away country. Meeting so many people here at NewSpring especially over the last three or four years, I’ve discovered that the same God is at work right here in Wichita, Kansas! That reminds me of a song title from some years back, God Is Still Doing Great Things!
During this time of great uncertainty in our country and in our world, I’m so glad that my confidence is not tied to any political party or brokerage firm. My confidence is in a God who is holding the world in place and overseeing all the affairs of man — who never changes, but is always up-to-date — who knows the future and is not nervous about any election outcome — I could go on and on and on — Isn’t God Awesome!!
One more note: Be sure to pick up mini invites for Judgement House and email the link to all your friends and family to get online and make their reservation.
Last weekend was GAD — Greater Andover Days — and NewSpring participated. KidzWorld had some very fun things to offer both during the Saturday parade and after. You can read about that and see pictures on Dan’s blog.
I was also at the parade because Stephen was marching with the Andover High School band. They did an awesome job. It was so unusual to have a day in late September that was very warm — in the upper 80’s I think. I know the band members were very glad to shed their uniforms as soon as they reached the end of the parade route. Because I’m old and like to reminisce, I had to tell Stephen that when I marched in a parade in our high school marching band back in 1973, it was in the 20’s and I froze. Isn’t it hard to believe the weather was so much colder in Texas than in Kansas? One detail though is the parade we marched in was the Stock Show parade and it is always in January. Texas does get cold in January! I also mentioned to him — playing the glad game — that when we marched, we came after the horses — his band was in front of them and for that he should be thankful.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I treasure my heritage and I’m thrilled to look back on all the wonderful things God has done for me. I can be very sentimental about my memories. When Mark and I visit Texas, one of our favorite things to do is drive by the houses we lived in during our childhood, we go by houses where my grandparents lived, churches and schools we attended and even shopping areas in the “old” part of town. All of these places bring back treasured memories but we don’t live there anymore. We aren’t children anymore, we’re grandparents! … and we’re busy making new memories for us and for our children and grandchildren. God was so faithful and good to us in the past, but I’m glad our God is a God of the future as well. He has such wonderful plans for today and tomorrow and I’m anxious to be in the here and now, with an eye toward the future. If we fail to think about the future, we will fail. After all, this life we are living is just an investment in eternity — that’s where we will spend the “bulk” of our existence.
As a matter of fact, we are commanded to “set our sights” on Heaven — our future.
Colossians 3:1-3
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Heaven is what we are talking about on Wednesday evenings at Powerlines. Join us next Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 in the East Building and our discussion will include a special guest from Scotland.
Have you ever heard the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” ? I came across that just recently and it really made me stop and think about the logic of that oft-quoted mantra. It might sound reasonable when we are struggling to learn a new process that seems to take more time and effort temporarily, but what if we go back and apply that to all those “new fixes” that we now enjoy every day.
For example…
My legs get me where I need to go just fine… why do I need wheels?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I enjoy hauling water to our house from the creek nearby. It works for us to use that water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing and we’ve always had an outhouse – it works just fine… why do we need indoor plumbing?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I love the glow of oil lamps in our house… why do I need electricity?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My mother taught me how to dip our clothes into these tubs for washing and it’s so much fun to use the wringer… I think my clothes smell extra fresh hanging on the line outside… why would I want an automatic washer and dryer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My mother gave me this cast iron manual typewriter, it works just fine… why do I need a computer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My rotary telephone works just fine… why do I need one with buttons… and I surely don’t need a phone to carry with me!
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My vinyl records have all my favorite songs and they work just fine, why would I want to use CD’s?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I love shopping for stationery and writing long letters to my friends. They don’t mind waiting a few days to hear from me – that’s so special and it works great. Why would I want to use email?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
Maybe since Mark and I have been talking so much about Heaven lately, I was thinking about those who don’t like change … don’t like new. It may be a difficult adjustment in Heaven, because God has announced to us about our future….
Revelation 21:5
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Which brings me back to….. I Like New!!
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