May Rain?

Tomorrow is May 1st, and it's supposed to rain. Now, I'm not complaining... we need pretty much all the rain we can get. It's just not too common for us to get a good rain in May. I think our last significant rain last year was early March.

Makes me wonder how we humans will deal with increasing water shortages in the coming years as the world population continues to increase and traditional water sources like mountain snow melt diminishes. It's actually pretty amazing how much water the average American goes through daily... and how little water is available for those in 3rd world countries. Oh well... better go flush that low flow toilet.

Couple of Quotes

A few years ago I remember seeing a cartoon where a guy was unpackaging a computer as quickly as possible. The caption said something like, "I need to get this set up before it becomes obsolete," highlighting just how quickly technology changes, a fact we all live with.

Here's a quote by R. D. Laing, Scottish psychiatrist and existential philosopher, that suggests we live in a time when tech isn't the only thing subject to rapid change:

We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up
that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing.

I wonder what the impact of that is on the church in general and upon people of faith who want to make a difference but wonder how best to do that.

This quote (courtesy of Heartlight.org) is one I need to read pretty often:

It's hard for God to walk with a man who gets his mind made
up to do things his own way. -- Norvel Hayes

Logo Shirts

A little over a year ago Brice got one of his buddies to design a new logo for us. Pretty cool, eh!?! This winter one of our members started pushing the idea of getting shirts with the logo on them to wear at service projects, conferences, to work, around town, etc.

The husband of one of the ladies Virginia works with at the PD has a T-shirt (and other printed stuff) business, so he we asked him to work with us. We decided to offer white, gray and dark blue shirts in regular t-shirts, long sleeved T's, and polo style shirts. They came out great. We ended up ordering over 90 shirts for our members, so the project totally paid for itself.

All of this made me think: Is living like a Christian in this world as simple as just wearing a logo shirt? Somehow I don't think so, but maybe for some of us it will be one more step. Want one? We have a few left.

Looking to the Hills

Today we focused on the God who does not always remove or prevent pain but who walks with us through the valley and comforts us no matter what the pain.

He Has Made Me Glad
When We All Get to Heaven

Welcome and Greeting

Faith Is the Victory

Reading: Psalm 121:1-2

When I Look to the Hills

Reading: Romans 8:27-28

Blessed Be Your Name

Communion: Celebrating Our Rescue

O Sacred Head

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Offering

Children’s Sermon

Invitation to Children’s Church

Blessed Be Your Name (reprise)

Sermon

I Am a Sheep

Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer

This Is How We Overcome

Closing Prayer

Tough Times with God

This morning we moved away from the celebration to explore together as a church family the difficult times in life when pat answers simply do not bring comfort and peace. Brice did a remarkable job helping us face and struggle with some of the tough times in our lives without losing our connection to a God who loves us and blesses us. Here's our road map for the morning:

Ah Lord God

Ancient of Days

Welcome and Greeting

A New Anointing

Prayer

Responsive Reading: Psalm 42:1-3

As the Deer Thirsts

Responsive Reading: Psalm 42:6-7,9,11

Deep Calls to Deep

Communion: Deriving Strength from God

By Christ Redeemed

Still

Offering

Invitation to Children’s Church

Blessed Be Your Name

Sermon

It Is Well with My Soul

Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer

Blessed Be Your Name

Spring Color

Last Saturday we made it out to the Black Diamond Mines for our annual spring church egg hunt and picnic. Here's a shot of the road heading up to the corral area. The green hills are beautiful, but they will soon change to the most-of-the-year "golden brown" that can be seen all over the state.

Old barn on some property that is now owned by the school district which dates to a much earlier era.

Back at home, the spring flowers are really busting out with lots of color.

The ice plant blooms for a short while each spring.

Iris growing in a pot out front.


Close up of one of the many blooms on the apple tree. Hope the apples are good this year!!

I like the roses on this bush... so big... so pretty!

Ah... those famous California poppies. VJ loves them!

More wild flowers.

I forget what this stuff is called. Most of the time it's a ground cover, but often really mature plants like ours sort of grow into bushes or small trees. It blooms with these blueish/purpleish blooms each spring, although the color in this pic doesn't do the color justice. The bees really like them.

Determining Worth

I've always liked those short, pithy sayings that actually contain more wisdom than words (a short commodity these days). They usually have roots that go back to earlier generations and, like Proverbs in the Bible, are based on common life experiences. We've all heard them... we've probably used some form of them... and we probably have our favorites.

When I was a kid and wanted to have or do something my parents weren't going to let me have or do, I would sometimes complain. At those times my mom would often use one of those sayings her mom had used on her:

"It ain't what you want that makes you fat... it's what you get."

As I kid I really had no idea what that meant, beyond understanding that I indeed wasn't going to get to have or do what I wanted. It wasn't until later that I was able to put those words into the proverb classification. Since then, I've used those words myself... and usually gotten the same blank stare I used to give my mom.

Well, there are sayings that are easier to understand, and sometimes they grow into several versions. For example:

Nothing worth doing comes easily.

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well... or right... or overdoing.

Nothing worth having comes easy, save your breath.

Anything worth saying deserves some thought first.

Perhaps the version of this saying that has impressed me the most is this one:

"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope." -- Reinhold Niebuhr

Quote of the Day

Maybe this too is why I like quotes???

"I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself." - Marlene Dietrich

Easter Sunday

This morning was a wonderful time of worship and reflection... one of those times when God uses people and music and words to powerfully work in the hearts of those who have gathered.

A quick look at the order of worship below reveals a definite "Easter" theme. Brice began his sermon with a cool video clip from Igniter. If you'd like a to check it out, click here.

Our God, He Is Alive

Welcome and Greeting

Come Worship Christ, the King

Prayer

Reading: John 19:16-18; 38-42

Low in the Grave He Lay
That’s Why We Praise Him

Reading: Philippians 2:9-11

Sing to the King

Had It Not Been the Lord

Communion: Grateful for the Resurrection
Give Thanks
Jesus, Draw Me Closer

Offering

Children’s Sermon

He Is Wonderful

Sermon

Amazing Grace

Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer

In Christ Alone

Prayer

Also, the feedback about the new configuration was overwhelmingly positive, with a few suggestions about how to tweak the pew placement.

The Eastside Church building was built in the 70's. Besides being well-maintained, the rich wood ceilings and beams are quite attractive... beautiful, really. The architectural style is common among Church of Christ buildings erected in that era and has served many churches well over the years.

The one drawback to this elongated style of seating is the distance (even in a relatively small auditorium) from the back pews to the stage up front. It's easy for people sitting even mid-way back to feel disconnected from what is happening up front... sort of like cheap seats at the theatre. :-)

Many buildings built in the last 20 years or so have a more "landscape" or "fan" layout to help correct that feel, but most churches don't have or want to spend the $$ to re-build just to achieve a closer feel. However, some churches have tried to do things within the existing facility to address this issue... including us!!

Brice and I have been tossing around some ideas for a while now, and Tuesday night we floated them to the elders and they liked the approach. Anyway, last night we moved some pews and laid some platforms to extend the stage out into the room a bit more. Well... take a look below to check out the result... we think folks will like it!!

Hey, if you're in the area, come join us for worship Easter Sunday morning. See you at 9:30!!

Frozen Sport

When we were up in Moscow back in late October it was just beginning to get chilly outside, but at the local ice rink it was already c-c-c-o-l-d!! Kaleb was getting started out on his first season as a hockey, and Jen was doing her best to be a "hockey mom" Idaho style. I think the hardest part was helping Kaleb learn how to get all the equipment on correctly.


Having done only some skating and being new to hockey, Kaleb had a lot to learn, but he enjoyed the season, and he looks pretty cool in his uniform!!

Lego Man Looks for a Job

It's increasingly difficult to find any job in this economy, much less to say the right job. Click here for a very funny prank call.

Youth Rally Weekend

We just finished a big weekend with our annual youth rally, and it was a really good weekend. The theme this year came from the book of Hosea and focused on how God's love reaches out to us even in our worst and most desparate times. Here's our order of worship for this morning. Brice did a wonderful job taking on the character of Hosea and preaching in first person.

Firm Foundation
Hosanna

Welcome and Greeting

Shout Hallelujah

Prayer

How Great Is Our God

Reading: Hosea 2:14-15

You Are My All in All

Responsive Reading: Hosea 3:1-2

Still

In Christ Alone

Communion: Celebrating Our Rescue

Come Share the Lord

Offering

Invitation to Children’s Church (age 3 – 3rd Grade)

Sermon

This Is How We Overcome

Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer

Quote of the Day

There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers. - Richard Feynman (American educator and physicist)

Spring Garden

Each spring since we've lived here, with varying successes, we've planted a vegetable garden. The first year, when the back yard was mostly rocks and junipers, the garden effort happened in pots; after we got the yard cleared out it's looked more traditional. One problem has been the lousy soil on our hillside lot. We've added our own compost and some better soil, but the improvement has been slow. Well, this year we added really good planting soil... sort of a organically rich sandy loamy stuff... if that makes sense. We got more than we needed, but that means our whole garden area is covered with several inches of the good stuff.

Sooo... last weekend we set out some plants and planted a few seeds. Here's how it looks at this point.

This portion is the volunteer wild flower section, next to the apple tree and the ice plant creeping down from the hill.

Tomatoes in the foreground, some bean plants in cages and three kinds of squash past them.

A little better look at the beans and squash. We planted a row of bush bean seeds as well, hoping they would begin to yield about the time these plants begin to wane.

A close-up of one of the tomato plants. We planted 3 kinds: Arkansas Travelers, Champions, and Celebrities. We'll see which does best... and hope that we have some volunteer cherry tomatoes again this year as well.