Life goes faster than you think
Don't Blink
I've been listening to that Kenny Chesney song for the past two weeks that have come and gone faster perhaps than any other... ever! I know everyone in this city is busy, and I do think there is a real unhealthiness that can begin with busy-ness, but GEEZ! Life has been so busy! Ha. (I'm still at work at it's 9:05pm, if that's any indication)
A few things...
NCC in the news!
Story on lent
One on Ebz
Brennan and I leave in less that TWO DAYS for Thailand and Malaysia! I'll devote a whole post to that of course, but suffice it to say the tickets are booked, the itinerary is set, and I have a new pair of enormous sunglasses that make me look like a bug to wear on the beach. The long and the short of it is we'll do a few days in Bangkok, a few days on an island called Ko Samui, then off to Penang to meet the Semester at Sea ship and pick up Bren's sister Meg and two of her friends. From there we're RENTING A CAR (this is where Brennan and I will fight the most out of the whole trip obviously) and driving from northern Malaysia (Penang) down to a mountainy part called Cameron Highlands and ultimately to Kuala Lumpur, then catch a flight back up to Penang. Start saying prayers please haha.
I met with Pastor Chris today at Ebenezers and had a great talk. More to come on that as life unfolds, but I just want to say a thanks to Chris for being so supportive, so excited, so prayerful, and such a leader to me! My relationship with Pastor Chris is a great example of how multi-site churches work from a pastoring perspective. Even though NCC is a huge huge church and it is easy to be anonymous, committing as much as possible to one service at one location is key to plugging in and developing relationships with the church body and pastors. Pastor Chris made me realize today how I really have gone through a cycle at NCC - finding my personal faith there, developing it through sundays upon sundays and small groups, and now beginning the process of being "sent out" with the blessing of the church. It's pretty neat.
Showing posts with label national community church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label national community church. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
How to Build Heathy Relationships
Savior - He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
Dr. Dick Foth is a guest speaker at NCC a few times a year and I can't say enough for how lucky we are as a young church body to have his wisdom and perspective. There is something about Dr. Foth that is difficult to articulate - a humility mixed with strong leadership and an ability to just speak to people's hearts.
We ended our "How" series with Dr. Foth talking about How to Build Heathy Relationships. Just wanted to share a few thoughts he had...
Love is accurate estimate and adequate supply of another person's need.
History Giving - Who we are is almost exclusively a function of our histories. Knowing about someone's background is necessary to loving them. Makes sense! God knows our history and still loves us.
Affirmation - We all want to know why we're worth loving. Prayer awknowledges someone's value. Words. Actions.
Covenant - Time, tenacity, truth telling. Being able to tell someone what you think, feel, and know... and trusting them with it. Knowing someone will "never say 'quit' "
Dreaming - If I can trust you with my history, maybe I can trust you with my now and my future. Sharing dreams increases their power and possibility.
Love cannot be built without trust and respect. Trust and respect builds as you cycle through history giving, affirmation, covenant, and dreaming.
One thing that touched me... Dr. Foth shared that for years he struggled with stuttering. When he met his future wife, he told her he didn't think she would want to stay with him since he had such a stuttering problem. She told him she hadn't noticed. A few years ago I found out my dad had a stutter when he was young, and because of that it was a feat to deliver his high school graduation speech. It wasn't until my mom told me about it that I realized my dad still does, on rare occasion, stutter. But to me it has always been the way he talked... I honestly didn't notice. There is a sweetness in Dr. Foth's voice that reminds me of my dad and that just... choked me up a little :)
My God is mighty to save
Dr. Dick Foth is a guest speaker at NCC a few times a year and I can't say enough for how lucky we are as a young church body to have his wisdom and perspective. There is something about Dr. Foth that is difficult to articulate - a humility mixed with strong leadership and an ability to just speak to people's hearts.
We ended our "How" series with Dr. Foth talking about How to Build Heathy Relationships. Just wanted to share a few thoughts he had...
Love is accurate estimate and adequate supply of another person's need.
History Giving - Who we are is almost exclusively a function of our histories. Knowing about someone's background is necessary to loving them. Makes sense! God knows our history and still loves us.
Affirmation - We all want to know why we're worth loving. Prayer awknowledges someone's value. Words. Actions.
Covenant - Time, tenacity, truth telling. Being able to tell someone what you think, feel, and know... and trusting them with it. Knowing someone will "never say 'quit' "
Dreaming - If I can trust you with my history, maybe I can trust you with my now and my future. Sharing dreams increases their power and possibility.
Love cannot be built without trust and respect. Trust and respect builds as you cycle through history giving, affirmation, covenant, and dreaming.
One thing that touched me... Dr. Foth shared that for years he struggled with stuttering. When he met his future wife, he told her he didn't think she would want to stay with him since he had such a stuttering problem. She told him she hadn't noticed. A few years ago I found out my dad had a stutter when he was young, and because of that it was a feat to deliver his high school graduation speech. It wasn't until my mom told me about it that I realized my dad still does, on rare occasion, stutter. But to me it has always been the way he talked... I honestly didn't notice. There is a sweetness in Dr. Foth's voice that reminds me of my dad and that just... choked me up a little :)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Baptism
First "Blog" Prayer Request Alert
I've always known in my heart that I would someday decide to get baptized, but felt it was something I would do "when the time was right." Translation: When my spiritual life was where it should be.
Pastor Mark has talked about different benchmarks in our journey-- places we could stop and build an altar or a monument. I consider the Upward Bound 2005 weekend in Ocean City, Maryland one of those stops for me. It's where I first gave my heart to the Lord as an adult with an individual faith independent of my family and background. That same weekend, Pastor Mark baptized about five NCCers in the surprisingly-warm-for-October ocean. I remember standing witness on the shore for each of their baptisms and it has since become a personal goal of mine to take that step (or plunge!) myself.
I very much feel that the time is right and it's my turn now, which stings my eyes with joyful tears and my heart overflows with thanks as I write this and reflect on how far the Lord has taken me in two years! I'm not sure where or when yet, but am definitely more inclined to do it outside :). We're not really in "outside baptism season" going into winter here, but I am expectant for spring or summer of 2008... Keep that on your prayer radars for me!
I've always known in my heart that I would someday decide to get baptized, but felt it was something I would do "when the time was right." Translation: When my spiritual life was where it should be.
Pastor Mark has talked about different benchmarks in our journey-- places we could stop and build an altar or a monument. I consider the Upward Bound 2005 weekend in Ocean City, Maryland one of those stops for me. It's where I first gave my heart to the Lord as an adult with an individual faith independent of my family and background. That same weekend, Pastor Mark baptized about five NCCers in the surprisingly-warm-for-October ocean. I remember standing witness on the shore for each of their baptisms and it has since become a personal goal of mine to take that step (or plunge!) myself.
I very much feel that the time is right and it's my turn now, which stings my eyes with joyful tears and my heart overflows with thanks as I write this and reflect on how far the Lord has taken me in two years! I'm not sure where or when yet, but am definitely more inclined to do it outside :). We're not really in "outside baptism season" going into winter here, but I am expectant for spring or summer of 2008... Keep that on your prayer radars for me!
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