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Today, we are in Branson, MO again.  We are enjoying a weekend away as a family.  We will of course head to Silver Dollar City.  But a highlight for us will be attending "Joseph" at the Sight and Sound Theatre.  We were blessed with some free tickets so our family could attend.  I am looking forward to this mini-vacation as a family after three weeks of school. Happy Labor Day Weekend Everyone!

Yesterday, I was at my Thursday morning office, Lincoln Perk.  For those who don't know, I have chosen to set aside Thursday morning for reading.  I have also made a choice to do this reading at a local coffee shop instead of my office where I could be distracted to do other work.  It also allows me to bump into people from the community and church. I was reading Mark Driscoll's book, Who Do You Think You Are? I will be posting more about this book in posts next week.  But I was also watching some kids whose moms had gathered for coffee.  They were having a great time going from chair to chair.  It was not distracting, but fun to watch.  As I was going back and forth between reading and watching, I read the following quote from the book by Karl Barth.  Barth was asked what was the single most important theological discovery he'd made.  Barth replied, "Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so." A few minutes later, one of th...

As part of my prayer time yesterday I sang the above hymn as suggested by James Bryan Smith in Hidden in Christ. He writes the following: I also enjoy singing (to myself) that beautiful hymn by Francis Havergal, "Take My Life and Let It Be." I sing it slowly and reflect on the lyrics: take my moments. . .take my lips. . .take my voice. . .take my feet. Set your mind on these truths. I suspect you will see sin a whole new light, not as something you ought to try to stop but as something you would never want to do in light of who you are. He continues with an affirmation and prayer that I think are important for you to be reminded of today. AFFIRMATION  I am sacred and special, a holy vessel, a temple of Jesus. Sin has no power over me, and it can only harm me. Therefore, I have no interest in it. PRAYER Gracious Abba, I need your help to see myself as you see me. I forget who I am and find myself drawn to sin. But in your eyes it is beneath my dignity. Help me to s...

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10)

May God himself, the God of peace,sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.  (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

     Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Summer went by too fast this year.  Since school has been in session for two weeks now, I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures of the summer.

Tomorrow, we will finish up Chapter 1 of Ephesians during our Life in CHRIST Sunday School class.  Join us! Go and ahead and read through it HMbefore 9 a.m. tomorrow. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this...

This weekend I am sharing two books as recommendations about our identity in Christ with my Sunday School class.  They are Hidden in Christ by James Bryan Smith & Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll. I encourage you to purchase them at your local Christian bookstore.  For those in the Hesston area, you can wait until James Bryan Smith has a book signing at Faith & Life Bookstore on October 12th from 1-2 p.m..

“ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world   to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4)

Last night, we kicked of our weekend of discussion and discernment with our candidate for Pastor of Youth and Family.  Jared Redding has been our interim youth pastor for 9 months and the search committee has chosen him to go before the congregation for the position.  I look forward to a great weekend with Jared and the congregation. It has reminded me personally of my call to Hesston.  I was in the same position about 5 years ago. My candidating weekend occurred mid-September 2008.  It was an exhausting, but exciting time for me and my family.  We are thankful and blessed to be in Hesston serving at Hesston MB Church. I look forward to going to work every day and to what God has in store for me in ministry, my family, and our church for the future. Blessings on you Jared as you go through this weekend!

“ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)