Greg's Musings

Greg's weekly musings (found on the back of the bulletin each week) are shared here for your enjoyment.

August 29, 2010

Dear Friends:

I was having a little trouble thinking of a subject matter for today's bulletin, and, as it turns out, there are more announcements than there was room for on the previous page.  Problem solved!!!

Free Car Wash: The Wednesday Contagious Christian class is planning a free car wash next Saturday, September 4, from 9am-noon.  The purpose is to show the love of Christ in practical ways.  We are in need of adult and young adult volunteers.  If you are interested in helping, please see Steve Carlock today.

Fall Work Day: A work day is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, starting at 9am, to care for several needs around the yard, and in the church building.  Everyone is invited, and encouraged to come and help.  A rain date has been scheduled for the following Saturday, September 18.

Well, now I've run out of announcements, and there is still room for my musings here.  So I'll mention that we have a new video projector today (hope you notice a brighter, crisper picture), and a new amplifier has been ordered.  Necessity demanded these items be replaced, as both the old projector and the old amplifier burned out.  Of course, the added expense of these items wasn't what we wanted or anticipated, but thanks to your giving, we were able to make the purchases when the items were needed.

Love & Blessings,

Greg

August 22, 2010

Dear Friends:

If you know anything about me, you know that I'm a summer-loving kind of guy.  I like it hot.  I like the sunshine.  I like long days.  And, of course, I like the outdoors.  Though it's not yet gotten cool, or even anything like cool, I'm starting to feel the heaviness of the fading summer.

Last year, at this time, I noticed that the large tree behind the church building was starting to turn brown, and drop its leaves.  Sadly, I informed someone, the tree was dying.  I thought it was dying, because it's August, and trees don't shed their leaves in August.  I was informed otherwise; big old trees do lose their leaves in August.  With spring, I welcomed the growth of new foliage on the big old tree, and now, I'm watching that same old tree once again shed it's leaves; a sign of fall.

Autumn is still, officially, a month away, but the days are getting shorter, and my heart would be sinking, did I not have Christ as the source of my light and warmth and love.  Still, I wish summer would continue for a long time to come.  Maybe forever.  But I'm thinking, too, of ways I can better enjoy the cooler weather that's headed our way quickly.  I might make an effort to go horse-back riding this winter, or to get back to an old favorite; snow skiing.  Ice fishing is definitely out.  That's way too cold.  By God's grace, I'll survive.

Love & Blessings,

Greg

August 1, 2010

Dear Friends:

I finally have a work out partner.  For the last few weeks, Josh Lund has been coming to do P90X with me in the morning, and Jonny Garcia joins us too, when he's able.  It's a lot of fun, and when you work out with a partner, you work off of each other's energy.  You push each other to do more.

Well, just when we're getting off to a good start, Josh is leaving.  He'll be heading down this week to get enrolled in college, and though he'll be back next weekend, his taking off this week brings home the reality.  Of course, it's not just as a work out partner that I'll miss Josh.  It's as a brother, and a friend, and as the linchpin of the youth group, and our sound man, and as a Bible study partner, and prayer partner, and...the list could go on.

So I'll not say good-bye yet.  I'll wait until next week, and together we'll send him with our blessings, and our prayers.  And I'll hope that maybe, just maybe, Josh will get to college and really hate it, and change his mind, and stay here where he belongs!  (JK, Josh, kind of!).  If my hopes aren't realized, I will, and we will, miss Josh dearly, but also will be the richer for the time he's been an integral part of our church's life.

Who knows, after school, he might be ready to come back and serve as ALF's Youth Pastor.  Wouldn't that be cool!

Love & Blessings,

Greg

April 4, 2010

"One Guy Didn't"

-author unknown-

Three guys were given crosses to carry.

Two guys earned their crosses.

One guy didn't.

Three guys were mocked and pit at along the way.

Two guys cursed and spit back.

One guy didn't.

Three guys were nailed to crosses.

Two guys deserved it.

One guy didn't.

Three guys knew death was coming.

Two guys resisted.

One guy didn't.

One.

Two.

Three guys died on three crosses.

Three days later,

Two guys remained in their graves.

One guy didn't.

March 28, 2010

Spring is in the air, and I am thankful!

More importantly, it is Holy Week, and I am very thankful!  Today is Palm Sunday, which commemorates the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  It was an event which sparked the most important revolution in the history of history.  The Lord Jesus had come to establish the Corporeal Kingdom of God on Earth; to take up the Crown & Throne of His father, David, and to reign over all the earth.  Or so it was assumed.

When that didn't pan out, lots of folks were disappointed.  Some wanted Him dead.  And they succeeded.  Or so it was assumed.

What no one knew - no one but the weeping Man on the donkey, and His almighty Abba - was that the revolution wasn't one won with swords and arrows, but with the Blood & Flesh of one Man - Won Man!  And He Won, alright.  But not without a fight.  He Won, alright, but He had to die to win.  And He did.  Die.  And that was the end of Him.  Or so it was assumed!

To be continued... Next Week!

Love & Blessings,

Greg

March 21, 2010

Spring is in the air, and I am thankful!

That's the same way I've begun the bulletin for the last few weeks, if you hadn't noticed.  But now that spring has officially started, it seems that its first order of business was to take the week-end off.  But that's OK.  I can laugh, because I know Old Man Winter is just making his last ditch effort, but he'll soon be gone.  At least for a few months.

Kind of reminds me of Easter.  And that whole Golgotha thing.  Oh, it was no laughing matter, that whole Golgotha thing.  Don't get me wrong.  But it was the latch ditch effort, the gasping, dying breath of the Power of Sin that took Christ's life.  But He laughed, you know.  After the old man did his best, Christ laughed, you know!  And with Him, we can laugh and dance and sing!  In fact, we really should, you know!

I wish I could say more, but Easter's coming, and I have a few more Announcements ; ) (Notice: First ever use of imoticon in bulletin ever)

March 7, 2010

Spring is in the air, and I am thankful!

But not everything about the day is quite as lovely as the weather.  I'm taking the long way around to explain, but I have an idea for a new Food Network cooking program.  I don't have the entire pitch down yet, but the show would be called "Cooking on the Edge of Disaster."  The name alone is probably enough to tell you why my day has not been altogether enjoyable.

Hopefully today's Koinonia, with the "My Big Fat Greek Koinonia" theme will make up for the frustration I had in my preparations for the meal.  I think the food turned out OK, but the same can't be said of my kitchen.  It's not just that it looks like a cyclone hit it (although it does).  That's remediable.  What I'm not sure is remediable is my cooking range.  I have one of those glass top ranges; the kind that they warn you will be permanently damaged if you even sneeze on it.  I did a whole lot worse than sneeze.

Baklave was one of the things on my menu for today.  I've never made it, but it seemed like an appropriate item for a Greek themed meal.  One step of the very tedious process is making a syrup which is poured over the baklava.  Multitasking while making a syrup is not a good idea, I found out.  While attending to one of the other "skillets in the fire," my syrup boiled over, leaving a quarter inch thick layer of hard candy over the entire stove top.  Not fun.  Opa! anyway.

Love & Blessings,

Greg

February 28, 2010

In case you've missed the announcements the last couple of weeks, I'll inform you that I'll be facilitating a video-led study series, based on the book, "How to Become a Contagious Christian," written by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg.  The general idea behind the book (and I assume the study, as well) is that Christians ought to use their God-given personalities and proclivities in their efforts to spread the gospel to the unbelievers.  Which is to say, there's no one way  or right way to preset the gospel.  You may be creative.  You may be yourself.  Isn't that amazing?  God allows - even wants - for me to be who and what He's created me to be, and for you to be who and what He's created you to be, and yet we may both be in His perfect will, while being very uniquely gifted.

Sorry.  I got on a bit of a rant there for a minute.  As I was saying, we'll soon be starting this series, and I'm inviting you to join us.  I'll be passing around a sign-up sheet again today, but I need a final count this week.  There is a workbook that each person will need a copy of.  The cost for that workbook is $10 per person.  If you are not able to afford that, but wish to attend, please sign up anyway.  There are scholarships available for as many as wish to attend who can't afford it.  Thus far, there are 13 of us signed up.  The start date is March 24.  Classes will be held on Wednesdays, from 7-8:30 p.m.  The series will last approximately 12 weeks.  (It's intended to be a 6 week study, but we tend to drag these things out at ALF.)  So lets get contagious and outrageous.

Love & Blessings,

Greg