Tuesday Night 6:30PM

Cathedral of the Cross

Happy Sunday!

"Hurry kills everything from compassion to creativity"

-Mark Batterson

Slow Down!

Enjoy the Sabbath

Keepin' It Simple

Has it occurred to you that the older you get, the more complicated life seems to become? Dealing with everyday people, providing for a family, making it through school, dealing with tough decisions, our faith, etc. Life is tough. God never promised us an easy life. As a matter of fact, we are called as believers to share in His suffering, which is tough, and that He WILL discipline those He loves,which is not always fun. However, we are His children and we are to never loose sight that He is our Father. When you think of the life of a child, nothing but simplicity makes up their pleasant, carefree life. Children depend on their caregiver for life and direction. They never loose sight of their relationship in regards to their parents. They view/receive their mom as their mom and their dad as their dad. In Mark, Jesus tells us that unless we receive the Kingdom of God like a child, we will not enter it. How many times do we battle the voice of God? How often do we refuse to move because we fear of missing of God and making a wrong decision? Children know their Father's voice, however, we tend to complicate it more than we tend to listen and move.

Its as simple as this:

A friend of mine was putting her 7 year old daughter to bed. They had been reading books, singing songs, talking about their day, saying their prayers, etc. Just when my friend thought her little girl had dozed off, she rolled her little self over, and as confident as this 7yr could be, she informed her mom that her illness was gone. My friend had been sick with a curable, yet difficult chronic disease that she had been suffering from for almost a 2 years now. The little girl's mom was shocked and speechless to the unrelated comment from her daughter.

Mom: "Where did that come from?"

Daughter: "God just told me."

Mom: "How do you know God told you that?"

Daughter: "Well mom, when you hear God talking to you, it kinda sounds like your voice but its not you. That's how you know is God telling you things, and I just heard Him tell me that."

Its that simple!

slow down...

This poem was written by a terminally ill girl given only 6 months to live. Her doctor found this poem & was so touched he passed it on...

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, not seen his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die cause you never had time to call and say, "Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music before the song is over.

At times we all get going too fast. It is the little things in life that make life beautiful. Slow down today, pray, and ask God to show you areas that you've been neglecting that really need your time.

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..." Ephesians 5:15-16

Tomorrow Night

Happy Father's Day!

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-this is GOD, whose dwelling is Holy!"

Psalms 68:5

John 8:41 says that God is a our TRUE Father! Some of us have loving, encouraging Fathers that have an active part of our lives, others have either experienced the physical loss of your Father, or your Father is emotionally absent from your life; reguardless of your situation, God is YOUR Father. You're earthly father will disappointment you, frustrate you, leave you, fall short of your expectations, etc. But God wont. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Celebrate EVERYDAY as you trust Him to be your Father.

Loving the "Unlovable" Part 2

Do you look at things in life as a coincidence? As some things could and maybe a coincidence, know this, we don't serve a God who operates by coincidence. We serve a providential God who has a particular plan, purpose, and destiny for each of our lives. Hes a detailed God that doesn't just throw the complete, finalized picture of life in our face. Instead, He takes us on a journey, an adventure, teaching, molding, working, filtering, and giving us detail by detail of His plan so that we may be equipped and prepared for His end result. He does this in so many ways and it looks completely different from person to person, but one way we can all relate to is the people He uses to get us where we're going. We have those people in our lives who provide rich, valid encouragement and love that allow us to press on. Then, we have those people that we would really rather do life without. Well, whether you want to hear it or not, its THOSE people that really get us push us and help mold us into who God desires. Trials, test, and overcoming temptation sharpen our character. Therefore, those difficult people that you are tempted NOT to love play a vital part in God's purpose for you.

So instead of praying that God would remove these people out of your life so your days go a little smoother, start pray a little harder for the love, joy, patience, kindness, self-control, etc. The fruits of the Spirit have to be developed. And the way God allows us to develop these fruits is by exercising them in the times that seem the hardest. We often get the mindset that these trial/test better known as "unlovable people" get in our way, causing a road block in life. Really, if we'd grab a hold of the fact that loving them is what pushes us forward; our character will be sharpened to a point where God can FINALLY trust us with what He has instore.