Wherever you go, there you are.

On Sunday, Vikki's sermon was entitled “Wherever You Go…You’re Not Alone.”   The text was from Joshua 1: 9 and John 17: 6-19. We also celebrated an important Rite of Passage event, with the blessing of our High School Graduates.

Some questions to help reflect on Sunday's message and help you move into your week....

1. Jesus teaches us how to pray in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-15) and in John 17 that could be called the “Other Lord’s Prayer.”  In the John text, Jesus is praying for the disciples.  What does this teach us about prayer?

2. In John 17:11, Jesus prays that his disciples might be “one”.  In this election year it seems that division rules and unity is nowhere to be found.  This is true among churches.  Is unity important?  How might you pray for unity in your life?

3. Do you believe in the power of prayer?   Who is prayer for: the one being prayed for or the one doing the praying? Consider keeping a prayer journal – not necessarily a list of prayer concerns but a documentation of the things on your heart that you lift before God.  See what God does with you and with your prayer concerns.

4. In Joshua 1:9 we learn that wherever we go, God is with us.  In this season of graduations, how might we be encouragers to all who enter into a new time in their lives?

What are you doing today? Do you have time to see me? Check your calendar and find some time to get together. Sorry, I only have 30 minutes... I might be available next Thursday around 2:30...

We plan our lives around our calendars. Play dates and lunches, meetings and walks, dinners and seminars, webinars, classes and conferences. We gotta get all our appointments on the books so we know where we are going each day.

Jesus didn't ask Peter, Andrew, James or John what they had planned for the day. Jesus doesn't care about our calendar. Jesus didn't ask for their fishing license to see if it was paid for and current. He doesn't care about our credentials. He doesn't care about our continuing ed credits, how many degrees are tacked to the wall, or how much experience we have.

When I went to Nicaragua, I didn't know what credentials I had to give, but I kept hearing the call to come. I had the time. During our first day together, Founder of Love, Light and Melody, Brad Corrigan, reminded us to empty ourselves of every preconceived notion of what Jesus was calling us to do. If we are not empty, we cannot be filled up. We prayed for divine appointments. We were in the right place to provide transportation to a family to attend a memorial service for a relative. We were welcomed with open arms into the abandoned Italian Embassy and shared fried chicken with a family and their 7 kids who don't know where daily meals will come from. We provided energy bars to kids that were seeking nourishment for today. We ran and played with kids that have so much love in their hearts because they are safe from harm. We had many divine appointments.

I arrived empty and I returned full. Full of such love that cannot be described in words.

Dear Jesus, Empty my appointment book. Rid me of my pretenses about my credentials. Open me up to divine appointments today and I will follow you. Without question. Amen.

Carole Schumacher

As a new mom, the bond with the child is so strong.  It is like a concrete pipeline.  So much time is spent between both.  The mom is totally focused on the child taking care of every need and pouring out so much love. The child is so fragile and needs so much care and love.  The child feels safe in the arms of mom.  It is a beautiful thing to see.  No matter what happens you know that the mom will protect and love her child.  She would go through anything to see her child safe.  Nothing is going to break this connection.

As the child grows up into a teenager, I see sometimes the concrete pipeline turns into a wood pipeline or even something less strong.  Communication problems seemed to arise.  The mom says to herself “I can’t understand my child anymore”, “Why can’t my child be that little fragile baby I held in my arms?”, “Why does my child act, talk, and dress weird?”, and “Why don’t we talk anymore?”  The child says “I don’t understand my mom anymore”, “I want to be free to experience new things and spread my wings, can’t she see that?”, “Why does she keep looking at old photos of the past?”, and “Why don’t we talk anymore?”  Walls are being put up and the cord is losing its strength.

Sometimes, I hope not, that the cord is just a single strand.  There is no communication between the two.  Both live their own lives.  There is not even a call on the special day for mom.  But that’s got to stop.  The cord is a living and breathing thing.  As walls are being broken and communication happens where both sides put all the cards on the table, the cord grows stronger and stronger and becomes that concrete pipeline again.  This not only happens between mother and child but this happens between us and God.  We stray from God sometimes and our cord becomes like a single strand.  But not all is lost.  With prayer, bible, and fellowship, the cord becomes alive and strands are being created so that the cord is stronger than ever.  It just takes that step of communication.

So don’t forget to call your mom and God.  For all you moms out there and also to my mom,
Happy Mother’s Day!  You are the best.

Stan

The theology of the Trinity still boggles the human brain. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are three, but they are one and the same. Who among us has full comprehension of that ?

Theologian William Placher speaks of the Trinity as depicting God as a “community of equals.” The Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each has its own mission, yet each is, in Placher’s words, “united in love.” If the Trinity is the substance of God, then one might conclude that equality, mutuality, is built right into the nature of the world. We are created for communion, mutuality, not for division and competition. The world was created as a place of cooperation, interaction, and community. The nature of the Trinity, as the nature of God, has relevance for our description of the world.

We are created in “Gods Image,“ we learn this truth in Genesis 1:26-28 . When we are drawn away from the temptation of individualism, we have opportunity to come into a fuller understanding of  the reality of the communal nature of God whose image we are created in.

Let us each step out and meet someone new this week. We will not only gain a brother or sister in Jesus name, we may also gain a glimpse of the Trinitarian communal nature of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is our God.

Still in One Peace,

Pastor David J. Jensen

Cancer. That ugly, scary, six letter word that no one wants to hear once, let alone twice. Our dear friend called with the bad news. He had been given similar news 5 years ago, but was free and clear after several months of treatment. It’s back, we asked? Ha, he laughed, no it’s a different kind this time. Lucky me, I’m in the 1% who go through one kind of prostate cancer, and end up with a totally different kind later. What are the chances?

So be strong and courageous, 
all you who put your hope in the Lord!  Psalm 31:24

After weeks of shuffling around to different doctors, who had many different ideas for treatment, he ended up at the MD Anderson Clinic in Houston. The surgery would be very complicated, involving 5 different specialty surgeons and could last up to 10 hours.  Our friend gave us all the information and answered our many questions. As our conversation drew to a close, I asked one final question. Do you trust this doctor, Mike? He exuberantly answered, “Yes!” He went on to tell us that at the end of their lengthy consultation, the doctor asked them if they would like to pray with him. They all 3 held hands, the dr. asking God to guide his hands during the surgery and help them to find and remove all of the cancer. Their tears flowed.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6

Mike’s surgery was last week. It went a full 10 hours. Mike’s wife, Paulette, shared that the lead surgeon had prayed with them yet again, just prior to the surgery. They felt a sense of peace and confidence, knowing that they had come to the right facility and found the right doctor. Outcome of surgery was better than expected. Mike remains in the hospital, recuperating another several days, but his spirits are high and his optimism continues.

Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of a doctor who would pray with his patients! What comfort during a fearful time. May all patients, fearing the unknown and cautious of their outcomes, be equally blessed with such compassionate caregivers. Amen

Andrea Heshmati

Being Happy Now

-Mother Teresa

On Sunday, the title of Vikki’s sermon was “Getting in Touch with God’s Feminine Side,” with text from   John 15: 9-17.

Some questions to help you reflect on yesterday’s message…
1. What masculine and feminine qualities do you honor in your image of God?

2. What new insight into your relationship with God do you find when Jesus proclaims that you are his friend? (John 15:13-15)

3. Jesus says that love means laying one’s life down for another (John 15:13).  How has someone “laid down their life” for you?

4. In John 15:16, Jesus tells us that we are chosen to bear fruit.  How does being “chosen” help you to bear the fruits of God’s love to others?

Ezekiel 36:16-38

Ezekiel 36:16,17 “Again the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their own conduct and the actions.”

The Old Testament is hard for me to understand!  The prophets, like Ezekiel, say GOD pours out his wrath on his people because they shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with idols.

When we turn away from GOD our lives become painful because GOD is love.  When we turn away from GOD we are turning away from love.  What do we turn to when we turn away from love? What idols do we turn to? Whose blood do we shed? I turn to money, thinking money can solve my problems.  If only I had a little more I could do so much… as if I can’t do anything in this moment with the money I have… as if money will solve my problems.  I turn to hatred because others cause me to sin by the pain they inflict on me, on my family, on the environment.  I gather consensus and attack looking for blood, looking to hurt, thinking that hurting others will cause my pain to go away or at least to subside.

The Old Testament says we need to fear the Lord.  I like Proverbs 14:26-27 “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.  The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning away from the snares of death.

I fear turning away from the Lord turning away from love causes me unbearable worry, guilt, and doubt.  It causes me to distance myself from my family and from my friends… and it distances me from Love!

If you are in a valley or if everything feels like it is closing in on you in a painful way, please know that GOD is with you wherever you are.  GOD loves you as you are, who you are, how you are!  You can turn away from the world and turn toward GOD, GOD is there in the world and GOD is there wherever you turn.

Precious Father, Loving God, Holy Spirit I pray for those I love, every man, woman, and child on this earth. I pray for all of us to feel your love and your presence and to keep our hearts, and thoughts focused on you.  AMEN

I know that God will be with me in that operating room. I give thanks for the community of faith at God’s Grace Community Church and my family and friends who will be lifting me in prayer.
My mind wanders and wonders though of the what if (?) in the room. What if something goes wrong and this is the day I meet my savior?

My fondest prayer is that I have lived a life that radiates the light of God within me. I was thinking about this very subject when a song by Sidewalk Prophets came on the radio…Listen and be inspired as I have:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfosSggwQS0&feature=related

I want to live like that! I know that I have a long way to go but I trust in you to continue a great work in me so that I can give it all I have. So that everything I say and do points to you! If Love is who I am than this is where I stand, recklessly abandoned never holding back, I want to live like that! Amen

Julie Weldon

Choosing what to have for dinner is nothing compared to choosing the next step to take in a career transition or major life decision.   Choosing what to wear can often be a time-consuming prospect but it’s a silly choice when faced with choosing options for the appropriate care for our loved ones; either our children or our aging parents.

We’ve all experienced the joy of being chosen (Yay!) and the disappointment of being rejected or not chosen (Sigh).  It’s pretty easy to allow our self-image to be tied to whether we feel chosen or rejected by others.  Being subject to the results of others’ choosing can make us feel so powerless.

But just like the unconditional love of my grandpa who always let us choose, regardless of how long it took, we can rest assured that we have been chosen by Jesus.   We know this because he tells us so in John 15:9-17.  From The Message, Jesus tells us:
• Make yourselves at home in my love. (vs 9)
• You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you. (vs 16)

Jesus has chosen us and it’s not because of anything we’ve done or not done.   We know that because in verse 15 he tells us that we are not his servants or slaves, but we are his friends.  True friends don’t need to work hard to be chosen, but are accepted and loved.  How cool is that?   It doesn’t matter if you’re a fast or a slow chooser.  It’s completely unimportant what team we get chosen or rejected for.  We are chosen by Jesus and that allows us to rest in him, abide in him and follow him into the world.

Friends and Beloved of Christ, you have been chosen to go into this world with the message of God’s love.  Bear fruit of hope and joy, peace and justice, with everyone you meet.  May God’s peace be with you. AMEN

Vikki

Deanne Cruickshank

Christ is the vine, we are the branches.  Shelter us! Prune us! Sustain us! Save us! Alleluia! Amen.

On Sunday, Pastor Dave’s sermon was entitled, Spiritual Surgery. Text was from John 15:1-8.

Some questions to reflect on as you begin your week…

• Have you ever received a job or hired someone based on a connection?  How has the old saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know” affected your life?

• How has your physical health and spiritual wellbeing been impacted by human relationships?

• As the place where the vine and branch on the grapevine connect is the strongest portion, so it is with our relationship to God.  John 15:1-8.  How is your (branch) connection to Jesus (vine)?

• How might you strengthen your relationship to Jesus?  Where is more love required?  What needs pruned?  John 15:1-8

There are not many times in our too busy lives, when we turn to God and say unconditionally you Father, have control of my day. Even my deepest desire to have a relationship with God seems to be loaded with certain conditions. Each day has its own unique set of circumstances. Each day there is a constant reminder to let go and let God. For me it’s definitely a work in progress. Trading my will for his is a little scary, seems pretty risky but, can also be exciting when I think of the possibilities.

I was not sure the trip to Nicaragua was something I should do at this time, for lots of reasons. In the end (the last minute) I knew I was blessed to have this opportunity. The extreme poverty was shocking. There were deep wounds and healing needed in some we met. Illeana and Mercedes parents have lost so much. They have already lost six children. We can’t begin to take this all in but, we can put them in God’s hands and pray for his healing and peace.
The ultra poor have a lot to teach us. They have great humility and hope. When God says “Trust Me” they answer the call. It’s evident in how they live their lives. There is an innate joy. You see and hear it in the many open air church services, where songs of praises fill the streets. It’s a total surrender to God. You know you are part of a sacred space when an elderly woman you have intended to pray for, comes to you first with the purest of blessings.

When I decided to say yes to God and go on this trip, he took me to people with gifts that I needed. We met some remarkable adults but, the children with their acceptance and pure joy showed me in the truest sense what it means to be a child of God. There were “Sound of Music” moments on a volcanic hillside, looking over a beautiful valley. Children and adults rolled in tall sponge like grass. Just like I imagine clouds would feel. Sunset moments on a beach with joined hands saying “adios el sol” (goodbye sun) and “hola luna” (hello moon). There were so many ahaa experiences watching others interact with the kids. If we give Gods gifts away to the people we meet with love, we are always surprised by the joy and love we receive.

I did not trust God at first with this trip but, when I decided to enter into the adventure he was with me every step of the way. In the people he gave me to travel with and in the people we met. The strangeness of a new place was no longer a little scary. Each new experience was special because God was there and we were sharing it together. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Abba God,
May our God’s Grace family always welcome and pray for these precious little ones and their care takers Daniel, Jessenia, Tatiana, Elena, Deanna, Bianca, Elias, Margine, John, Jeremy, Alba and Aracely, Brad, Bismark and Ingrid. God, your love is so good. Thank you for teaching me about who you are. Help me to draw closer to you and all your children. Amen

Lois Autterson

The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs are upon us. Our Nuggets have their hands full with the Lakers and Andrew Bynum. My team through the days of Bill Russell and Larry Bird remains the Boston Celtics, but I fear they are showing their age a bit against the Hawks and will struggle to go very far into the playoffs.

Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey was a small forward back in the 1970’s for the New York Knicks before he became a politician. In a wonderful book about his basketball career, “Life on the Run,” he talked about what he called the magic nights . These were the times when the plays were run , the picks set, and the shots made as if each player were an extension of the others. The five players acted and reacted as one. Each instinctively moved to exactly the right place and did exactly the right thing. The team was one body in five parts. As one body, it played and triumphed.

"I am the branch," Jesus said, "You are the branches."

John 15 blessings this week. May you live deep into your relationship with Jesus and with one another.

Still in One Peace,

Pastor David Jensen

In Germany, especially in Bavaria, the tradition of raising a Maypole (Maibaum) on May 1 called Maifeiertag which means “May Celebration Day” is used to welcome Spring and to drive away evil spirits. This tradition in Germany and many other countries in Europe has been done since ancient times. Some in Germany still observe the night between April 30 and May 1 as Witches Night (Hexennacht). Traditionally, people believed that witches held celebrations on the summit of the Blocksberg, a mountain in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, on the night between April 30 and May 1. People believed that it was dangerous to be outside on this night so they lit fires to deter the witches from coming too close to them or their homes. These traditions lead to the custom of lighting fires and erecting maypoles still seen today. The Maibaum is a tall pole made from a pine tree with colorful ribbons, flowers, carved figures, and various other decorations adorning it and is set up in a town's public square. Usually the Maibaum is replaced every 4-5 years, due to safety concerns with weathering and cracking as most town Maibaums are usually over 90 feet in length. This year in Mietraching, where Lizzy and I live, the Maibaum will be set up today. We'll have traditional dances, music, and everyone will be wearing Bavarian folk costumes.The entire population of the town will turn out as will the people of neighboring towns. It is a day of celebration for winter’s end and springs arrival. Of course there will be much food and drink with Bavarian Beer, sausages and other dishes ready for everyone to enjoy. This year Lizzy and I had the privilege as Mietraching residents to help shape and paint the Maibaum being raised today.

Painting the Maibaum

John 2:1-11 is a passage I read through that I thought was appropriate for the celebrations that will be going on today. The wedding in Cana was obviously a celebration of life and love and Jesus attended, no doubt, to celebrate as well. He even contributed to the celebration creating really good wine. God created us to love, honor and obey Him but He also created us to enjoy life and celebrate with each other. We do this every time we attend church together and every time we get together as Christians. This 1st of May morning the entire town will celebrate with a church service honoring God, the coming of Spring, the joy of life and then party as only the Bavarians can. I wish you could all be here to celebrate with us.

Finished product ready for raising.

Live locally,think eternally,
Blessings from your Bavarian Missionary,
Matt Schneider
p.s. pictures of the celebration to follow!

Here's some questions to think about this week:

• When have you stepped outside your comfort zone to follow Jesus? How did that experience imact you? If you’re not sure you’ve stepped out, ask Jesus for courage and guidance.
• Who do you consider to be your “family”? As part of the family of God, how are strangers or kin living in other parts of the world (from the inner city to Nicaragua) part of your family?
• Spend some time with Isaiah 58:1-10. Read it each day this week. What do these verses have to do with your everyday life?
• How does hearing stories from others’ travels to Nicaragua inspire you? What stories can you share to inspire others?

God appears at the strangest of places, doing the strangest of things. Stretching smiles where there had hung only frowns. Placing twinkles where there were only tears. Hanging a bright star in a dark sky. Arching rainbows in the midst of thunderclouds.

I heard a story about two friends who were walking along the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.  The first friend stopped suddenly and said, “Do you hear that?”

The second friend replied, “Hear what?”  But the first friend didn’t answer.  He just darted ahead listening for some unnamed sound.  The second friend followed continually inquiring what the sound was.  Soon the first friend crossed the street before darting further up the block.  He stopped at a tree that was wrapped in wired fencing.  Sticking a finger through the fence and pulling back some of the grass, he revealed a cricket quietly chirping away.

“That’s incredible!” the second friend exclaimed.

“Not really,” the first friend said as he stared contently at the cricket.

“No really!” his friend said.  “There is so much noise here with people and traffic.  You must have really good hearing.”

Again, his friend didn’t even look up. He just shrugged and said, “Not really.”

“Then how did you ever hear that? No one else even noticed it!” the friend asked.

This time the first friend did look up.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand full of coins.  Looking his friend in the eye, he dropped the coins on the ground.  As they shattered on the sidewalk, every head on the block turned to see where the sound was coming from.

“We don’t hear what’s really there,” the first friend said. “We hear what we’re listening for.”

I think this story has so many implications for life.

What are we listening for?

Do we listen for something to disagree on, and forget to hear the other person’s opinion?

Do we listen for bad news, and miss the important part of the story?

Do we listen for the answer, and avoid the explanation?

So much of our experience of life relies on how we perceive it.  For example, the existence of the rainbow depends on special nerve cells called conical photoreceptors.  To animals without these cells in their eyes, the rainbow does not exist.  So you don’t just see a rainbow, you create it in your mind.

Yet sometimes the way we perceive life gets a little skewed.  We are looking for God to give us the answer we expect, and we miss what He is actually saying.  Sometimes it feels like “God is testing us” or “God doesn’t hear us” or “God isn’t listening.”  The reality is, just because we don’t see the rainbow doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  You can’t see the beauty, unless you open your mind up to create it.

God is constantly saying that He loves us and wants the best for us.  He sends us constant reminders of this.  All the natural world around us is filled with evidence of God’s love.

One of God’s greatest messages of God’s love is found in one of the tiniest places.  It’s in a small protein molecule called Laminin.  If you have 8-10 minutes today, I’d encourage you to watch this video to discover the incredible impact that this molecule has on your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1QGustjXO4

Zach Herzog

Spring brings the excitement of new beginnings, new opportunities, and a fresh look at the world. As I think about the beauty of the world around us, I am also reminded about our church’s missionaries, trudging around on a dump site where people live in makeshift houses and experience a daily dose of smelly burning trash; the residents sharing their site with birds and other animals picking through the trash. However, I’m fairly certain our missionaries will bring back stories of warmth, compassion, and the new friends they made along the way.

Please join me in praying for our missionaries in Nicaragua on this glorious April day. May they be filled with God’s presence and experience the hope and love of God’s amazing spirit.

Dear Lord, we are continually blessed with your love and grace. We have been fortunate to receive multitudes of good fortune in our daily lives. Please bless those who provide gifts of love and the sharing of their hearts. Bless our missionaries for the work they provide and fill them with your Spirit. Be with those both in our congregation and on the dump site that are fighting ill health and need your healing touch. You are the provider for all and we offer our little gifts in comparison to all that you provide. Amen.

Be with us God and fuel us with the power of the Holy Spirit…to the ends of the earth and especially at the dump sites of the world.

Wendy Saathoff

Isaiah 58 :1-10 is a text we are looking at over breakfast this week at Hotel Cisneros in Managua. “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into our house; when you see the naked to cover them, and not to hide yourself from you kin? "(Isaiah 58:6,7)

A thief in his old age, unable to ply his “trade", was starving. A wealthy man, hearing of his distress, sent him food.

Shortly thereafter, both the rich man and the thief died, on the same day.

The trial of the benefactor occurred first in the Heavenly Court. The verdict? He was found wanting and sentenced to Purgatory. At the entrance, however, an angel came hurrying to recall him back to Court. There he learned that his sentence had been reversed. Why? The thief whom he aided on earth had stolen the list of his iniquities. (The Yehudi, as told in the The Jewish Way of Life and Thought, by Abraham Karp)

The text of Isaiah goes on in the 8th verse of chapter 58 to say, “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly, your vindicator shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”

Here in Managua, on a trash dump, in a land few of us have visited - we are at a family reunion.  There is human need  for sure. We have brought some food, clothing, and other essentials for human survival. What we have received is a fresh glimpse into the truth of what is essential for the soul. Jesus has introduced us to our kin. Fears which separated us from them have fallen away, as the Nicaraguan once unknown to us has become the one the Lord uses to be our “rear guard”, a trusted friend who watches out for us. Such is the truth only the Lord can offer.

We are humbled for the opportunity to share our testimony on Sunday of what the Risen Jesus has been up to among us. Keep us and our new found kin in your prayers.

Still in One Peace,

Pastor David J. Jensen

The previous chapter, I will call "preparation."  As always, I thought I had plenty of time to gather the items necessary for my trip, along with time to cross off items on my lengthy "to do" list.  Well, I do believe that while I did accomplish everything I "thought" I needed to, God had other plans for me ...

As I spent the later part of last week with my parents shopping and getting ready, I was pleasantly reminded that God constantly has our backs.

My dad and I were down to the last item for our trip -- our carry on luggage.  Sounds simple enough right?? All we needed was a simple piece that would carry some of our things for the week.  We looked at a few stores and found one we "thought we could live with" but of course we couldn't just buy the first one we found that we liked, we had to "shop around" ... was there something better or cheaper out there??

We literally drove a loop or two or three as we tried to find the "right one."  One store only had one ... another had two but both were defective.  This simple task had turned into a tiresome frustrating adventure.  I got lost in the "what" we were trying to accomplish and started to lose sight of the "why."  God had my back tho ... he sent me a few signs along the way ... here's the one's that stuck out and I remember ....

We were at the check out and I was visiting with the cashier.  I asked her if she was having a "good day."  She smiled and replied, "No, I'm having a GREAT day, you are present here in my moment."  WOW!!!  That's not usually an answer I receive to that question.  We had a quick conversation and I was reminded to take a deep breath ... don't think about the past and don't worry about the future ... enjoy what's in front of me at this very moment.

In November 2011, Maureen Herzog shared a devotion with us entitled "The Penny."  When you find a penny (or any coin), take a moment to remember that "In God we Trust."  It's a subtle reminder to trust God, that God has our backs.  At least twice, I found a penny on the ground.  They just seemed to "pop up" when I least expected it.

The final sign that I remember from that afternoon is the voice of those before us.  As we drove around, my father told us a story of how my grandfather would shop at the Samsonite Outlet store in downtown Denver. To make a long story short, we ended up finding a Samsonite store in Colorado Mills.  It wasn't the store we set out to find, but a few wrong turns in the mall, a consultation of the directory and there we were.

We did find our piece of luggage at that final store.  What was suppose to take only a few hours took us a few more.  It was a long day, frustrating at times ... fun at times.  I enjoyed time with my parents, as we don't see each other too often. So all in all, it was a day full of reminders that God has our backs, we just need to trust and listen. Oh and that piece of luggage we finally decided on ... a rolling backpack.

So as I close, the sun is up ... it's another beautiful day and my "to do list" is now complete.  It may not have gotten done in the time frame anticipated, but it all got done.  God has my back ...

I look forward to what this week will bring and the next chapter in this Nicaragua journey.  I ask God to help keep my heart and mind open and to allow myself to just be in the moment with all that God has to offer.

May you all find your moments and remember, God has your back.

April Schauer

Traveling mercies to our participants heading to Nicaragua today. We will be anxious to hear their stories next Sunday.

Some questions to think about as you move into your week…

• Does the complexity of life cause you to yearn for some simple ways of faith in Jesus?

• How might Jesus be calling you to express:  Thanks, Help, Sorry and Yes/Joy this week?  (Luke 24:44-53)

• How does “Love” speak to “Death” in your faith journey?

• Has anyone’s last words been formative for you in your walk of faith?  What last words would you like to be remembered for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN8CKwdosjE

No, no, no…it started with this:

John 13:1-17  
Especially verse 15:
For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Hugs – an intrusion into another’s personal space or a welcome reception to the human need for touch?  What is it about hugs?  You either love ‘em or run away from ‘em.

Hugs are apparently universal.  Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Wn-tMeqUs&feature=endscreen

And, then this happened:
Would you hug a machine for a free Coke?   Would you hug a stranger giving away free hugs?  We tried it during Holy Week, the Thursday before Easter (the night known as Maundy Thursday-because Jesus gave the command to love and to serve one another as recorded in John 13.)  So, standing around with signs that said “Free Hugs” in front of a King Soopers and a Starbucks, we decided to see what might happen.

Guess what?  More than 80% of folks took us up on it!  We hugged young kids, men, women, and 100% of the teens.   It was really kind of amazing.

Some of them asked, “Why are you doing this?”  We simply said, “Happy Easter.”  Even folks who didn’t want a hug got a cheerful “Have a nice evening!” and found a smile.

But the biggest surprise of all for me, were the ones who asked if they could join us.   They wanted to be a part of giving away Free Hugs.   We had a terrific group of high school students who joined our team a little skeptical that anyone would really hug them and then kept it going after we left.

And, there were the two darling young children who asked their mom if they could go back (they’d already gone to the car) and help give out free hugs.

May we not underestimate the power of
• unconditional love
• human touch
• free hugs

On this 13th anniversary of the shootings at Columbine HS, I am filled with hope because of these young people who willingly joined us to share a little bit of love to a world they don’t always see as welcoming to them.

It’s the unexpected moments of grace that catch us off guard and transform our lives and our world.   That’s the message of the resurrection.  And it’s REALLY good news!

God bless you,
Vikki

I am one of seven kids, number 5 in the “food chain.” I remember when my oldest brother David turned 21, I thought, I will never be that old. David is going to be 62 this year. Where did the years go. It has gone so fast.

My mom will be 82 this year- I remember as a little girl how pretty she was. I wonder where did the time go. She is a grandmother now. Where did the time go ?

My kids are 15 and 18….I found pictures a few days ago and Nich is about 2 and Zach is 5 in the picture, they were beautiful little boys and now they are handsome,young men. Where did the time go ?

Time, it is moving so fast, it stops for no one, it moves faster and faster the older I get. What am I going to do about it?

I am praying more.

I am reconnecting with some old friends

I am trying to be more patient, less frustrated.

I am writing thank you notes and not thank you emails.

I am getting more involved in the high school Nich attends.

I am calling my brothers once a week, just to say “Hi” I love you.

I have decided today to not let my mother make me crazy. She is not going to change, and time is not going to wait for me to stop being angry at her.

I am not worrying about my unanswered email after a long day at work. No one is there to answer it anyway.

Today is what God has given us, nothing else is guaranteed, tomorrow may not come. I thank God for this beautiful Spring day, I thank God for my family and friends, for my church. Time is a gift that has so much value, so much worth, we do not know the worth until it is gone. God’s peace and amen.

Maureen Herzog

In Luke 24, on the walk of the Emmaus road, its hard to believe how the friends of Jesus have no idea of who he is. At mealtime,  in the “…breaking of the bread…”  it becomes clear to them that they had been walking with their once dead, now alive, pal Jesus! What happens in a meal that allows things once secret to become clear?

In “Wishful Thinking,“ Frederick Buechner says “ To eat any meal together is to meet at the level of our most basic need. It is hard to preserve your dignity with butter on your chin or keep your distance when asking for tomato ketchup.”

May each meal become sacred to you.  Jesus  comes and meets the most basic of needs. With arms outstretched Jesus knows not how to keep his distance. Jesus comes to all who had “..once hoped.. “ (Luke 24;21) and says do not give up! Hope is here!

Still in One Peace,

David J. Jensen

I think moments in life with Christ are like that.  Christ says I will always be with you.   You are always in the safety of God’s mighty arms.  God has you in the palm of His hand so how can anybody hurt you.  At the start of that moment, you are safe in God’s arms. At the end of that moment, you are safe in God’s arms.  Now that moment will maybe bring pain, fear, and stress- but God is always with us, so it is not that bad.

Kids experience many moments that shape their lives.  The problem when I was a kid was that I didn’t look back at the struggling moment and understand that it really built character.  I just said to myself- I can’t get through this and I think I am going to die.  This stinks and I don’t want to deal with it.  But God was there with you the whole way and even if it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to be, it was all in God’s plan.  You were always in God’s safe arms in the beginning and at the end.  I am not a parent but I think for parents these days, your kids might have encountered this a little.

Didn’t we all have love relationships like that roller coaster ride in the amusement park?  There are ups and downs, thrills and fears, and good and sick feelings.  Actually our love relationship turns into marriage and we still haven’t gotten off that roller coaster.  The intensity just got stronger.  Then you have kids and that adds more to it and then you definitely want to get off the ride and have a cotton candy.  But you don’t do that.  You stay on that ride because you know that God is going to be with you throughout the whole thing.

God is always there at the beginning and always there at the end at all the moments of your life, Alpha and Omega, baby.  Be strong and courageous, for the best is yet to be.

God’s peace,
Stan Yee

Pastor Dave taught on John 20:19-31 and asked us to reflect on a few things...

In John 20:19, Jesus came and stood among the disciples and said “Peace be with you.” When have you felt that peace of Jesus in a time of fear?

When Jesus is among the disciples, John 20:22-23, he breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit and that they may forgive sins.  Why is forgiveness a spiritual tool?   What does forgiveness mean to you?

What do you know of the disciple Thomas?  Read about Thomas and the Risen Christ in John 20:24-28.  Where do doubts fit into faith?  What doubts do you need to bring before Jesus?  Can you?

Does the Bible tell the whole story of Jesus?  John 20:30-31 says no, but what is in the Bible tells us everything we need to know to believe.  How is this book, the Bible, a part of your faith journey?   How would you like it to be a part of your journey?

In the spirit of recycling and re-using, I am reprinting the following piece, originally posted on May 7, 2009...

From a gardening point of view, this is one of my favorite times of year. New growth abounds! Buds are forming, green shoots are emerging, and the brown lawn is gradually giving way to green. Rather than cutting back perennials in the fall, I like to leave the dried stems and seed pods for “winter interest.” Some may think this behavior of a lazy gardener, but it’s all a therapeutic process for me. Looking out the window at the frozen, brown garden in the middle of January brings a real sense of hope for me, or perhaps it’s a feeling of confidence. Hope, that all the plants will make it through the winter dormancy, showing signs of life come spring and confidence that despite lack of attention to them for months, they will survive!

Working outside this past week, made me realize how much many gardening tasks mirror habits we should regularly practice to keep ourselves and our relationships healthy and nurturing. Just think of it…we aerate our lawns pulling “plugs” of thatch filled dirt supposedly to give our lawns a better chance to allow air, moisture and fertilizer down to the roots. We prune branches of bushes and trees in our attempts to help them have a better shape and to rid them of dead parts. We weed out those unwanted dandelions and other uninvited visitors of our tidy beds. We fertilize to make our plants stronger and healthier and our lawns greener and more lush.
I believe God wants us to do those things in our lives….Aerate - pull some “plugs” (bad habits, fear,) to allow the good stuff to have a better chance of reaching our roots and make our lives better. Prune - cut off those dead branches (anger, resentment) of our lives that keep us from experiencing better relationships with God and our friends and family. Weed – rid our “gardens” of unwanted visitors (procrastination, worry.) And last but maybe most importantly, fertilize – (feed your faith, serve others, engage in healthy relationships.) For everything there is a season, and this is the season of new growth, renewal, and rebirth. Let’s get out there and get busy!

Andrea Heshmati

The Easter decorations will be put back in the box and safely stored away in a closet for next year. There is still plenty of chocolate left to greet my guests for some time to come. But once the Holiday is over, what next?

Has Easter changed you? Has the sacrifice that Jesus offered to lay down his life and take on the sin of you and me and the world…has it made a difference? Has the glory and promise of God’s abundant Grace moved you to share this gift in some small or grand way?
Josh Wilson has a wonderful song that reminds us that yes the easy thing to do would be to choose to walk on by when we see someone in need. We could choose Not to move…
But the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice for me…stirs within me a desire to give something back to live a life that reflects the gratitude I feel for God’s Glory revealed to me in His son.
The world has so many needs it is easy to get overwhelmed and Not move. But today, someone may need a smile that only you can offer. Today someone may need a little help reaching for something on a high shelf in the store. Today someone may need to hear your story, the story of how God has moved in your life.  This world needs God…

i

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B1Lv8k5pEc&ob=av2ese

Abba, Forgive me for the times I have chosen not to move. Push me out of the comfort of my nest and move me out into the world to share your love! Amen

Julie Weldon

Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed! It is wonderful each Easter morning to share those words with others in our missional community. The deal is, as hard as the resurrection must have been for Jesus to do, now the real works begins.

The predominate response to the resurrected Jesus, at least among his closest followers, is fear. We fear the new life and demanding discipleship that brings us in his resurrection. Yet the good news is that he comes to us, he breaks down locked doors and shows himself to us, he empowers us and sends us forth.

Doubting Thomas is left behind in the famous biblical story. The other 10 disciples saw the risen Jesus and had come to believe in him. Thomas was not there for the sighting of the risen Jesus and he let the others know that unless he saw the wounds of Jesus and touched them, he would not believe. Jesus came through a locked door and invited Thomas to touch his scars and feel his wounds. It was through doubts, scars and human touch that Thomas came to believe. (John 20:19-31)

It is the same for us. The Christian faith formation formula will only work when we see Jesus each day in our scars and wounds. Jesus is there ready to meet us with the authenticity only he can offer, mending us up in our day to day struggles, offering hope that destroys all fear.

The opportunity to serve this week in Extreme Community Make Over (ECM) is a great chance for each of us to see the Risen Jesus walking into places that seemed to have locked him out and doubts, wounds and scars being used as the recipe for faith formation. So please come for the blessing of ECM this Sunday. We will not have our normal gathering for worship, we will follow the risen Jesus into the realities of the world. Click here for more info on Extreme Community Makeover and how you can get involved.

Still in One Peace,
Pastor David J. Jensen

1 Corinthians 15:1 “Now, Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.”

I like the way Paul starts chapter 15.  Sometimes I need to be reminded of the gospel.  Isn’t that the truth!  It’s not that I purposely put it out of my mind, but life as we know it goes faster and faster every day.  AND, if we don’t take time, even a few minutes, or a deep breath, we forget that GOD loves us, as we are, just as we are.  We don’t need to be dressed up, we don’t need to have everything together, we don’t need to be striving… GOD JUST LOVES US!

1 Corinthians 15:26 “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  People are arguing if there is life after death, and Paul says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  I personally am not afraid of death, because God has given me so much and gives me more each day, even more than I thought was possible the day before.  So, instead of arguing or worrying whether there is life after death, I strive to live life to the fullest, NOW!  I am reminded by the gospels GOD loves me, so my future is secure and what I need to do is live life to the fullest now… In GOD, through GOD, with GOD… what a ride!

And finally, Paul, in Chapter 15:33-34 says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.  Come back to your senses as you ought and stop sinning…”

May you find yourself this day meditating, praying, and fulfilling GOD’s plan as Paul has written…
1) Remember the gospel. (GOD loves you)
2) Live life to the fullest NOW! (Don’t worry, GOD loves you)
3) Don’t be misled, hang out with good people (GOD loves you)

Precious Father, Loving God, Holy Spirit help me to live life to the fullest now by letting go of my worries and letting go of my need to control.  Help me to love, love myself, love my family, love my friends, love my enemies, just love.  AMEN!

Jim Dietvorst