His eye is on the sparrow

I painted a backdrop for the last window display at Chapel Books last year. The theme of this window was taken from the hymn "His eye is on the sparrow".

I have done many windows before and considered this a ministry. When the bookstore closed due to roof damage, there was/is the potential that this ministry, this season for me has ended. Change is on the horizon.

Yes things change...

We don't function so well with change, not in our flesh anyway, but in Christ, change is constant. We are constantly changing into a restored, sanctified human being. That type of change we like but there are some changes we don't like so much - change of job, physical changes, getting older, changes in emotions, in the family, in our health...

…in our ministry.

But that is how He restores us. It isn't always how we think it should be.

Know this friend, God is constant - He never changes and He never stops loving us. We may not know the future but we do know of His love and He watches over us. 

His eye is on the sparrow:

Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart feel lonely And long for Heav'n and home, When Jesus is my portion? A constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches over me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me (He watches me) His eye is on the sparrow And I know he watches (I know he watches) (I know he watches me) "Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth But one step I may see: His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds arise, When songs give place to sighing, When hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him, From care He sets me free: His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He cares for me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He cares for me. So I say to you, dear woman reading this, know  you are loved and God's loving, caring eyes are on you. That is something to sing about.  ~Nina

View from the Pew...Why Our Upcoming Pitch-Ins Are Opportunities to Make our Body *Fat*

Hubs and I have been at Calvary Chapel for 11 years now. We started attending when the church met at the old Boys and Girls Club and we could walk to church each week. We loved bringing our friends and introducing them to the *best* teaching in town:) After about a year, we were committed to the body, loved the teaching, but really hadn't connected with very many people. It felt...awkward. We considered Calvary our home church, but it felt more like a boarding house than a family.

Then, we were personally invited to a church pitch-in. I honestly don't remember who invited us, but I remember being invited. Someone made a point of finding us after church and asking us to come. They explained where and how the pitch in worked and made sure we knew we were welcome. That was a turning point for us. At the pitch in, we sat at a table with the Brinkerhoffs and Anglins and they made a point of getting to know us better, sharing their lives with us. The next week at worship, we had someone to share a row with and that was the start of falling in love with the people in our body.

This morning, I was looking around during the meet and greet portion of the service and realized that there are several new families in the body that I don't know. At all. I get so wrapped up in giving hugs to the sisters I know, saying hello to the families of our kids' friends, checking in with someone I have been praying for...but it's been awhile since I really tried to meet someone new.

Sisters, there are a LOT of new people to meet!

There are two upcoming pitch-ins and opportunities to fellowship with our body. The first event is October 31, Halloween night. There will be a bonfire, pitch-in and fellowship. The second event will be held November 13 right after worship service, celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the joining of Calvary Chapel and Christ's Fellowship. Both of these events are excellent opportunities to invite a new person, a new family to come and fellowship with us.

Actually, I want to challenge each of you to reach out in love to someone in the body, making a prayerful point of encouraging them to join us. This is a great way to *fatten* our body, to make us grow. It might be just the thing that makes someone feel like they belong, that our church is their church...and really, the church that Jesus asks us to be.

My first trip the the Midwest Pastors' Conference

My family and I returned from the 2011 Midwest Pastors' Conference this afternoon, and while some of my thoughts are still fresh, I want to share my impressions with you all. First, I want to say that I am so, so glad we went! For years we've heard others in the body share their love and enthusiasm for this conference, but it seemed like we always had a little baby...and then another little baby and another and, well, you get the idea:) This year, we were blessed with the opportunity to attend the conference as a family and it truly was a blessing.

Second, the teaching was amazing. Ahhh-mazing! Truth? I have two favorite radio teachers: Bob Coy and Mike MacIntosh. I heard them both. Couple of times. So, so blessed, sisters! Though I kept leaning over and telling Susan Cole that they didn't look like I had imagined them in my mind:) Tom Stipe also taught and he was equally incredible. Someday (when I catch up on my sleep and have time to process all the ahh-mazing teaching), I'll post some thoughts about the teaching...or better yet, maybe some of you who were there can post your own thoughts!

Each session began with worship and it was...worshipful. Spirit-led. The most beautiful part for me was watching all these pastors and leaders and people from our own body relax into the Holy Spirit. To look around and see hands raised, unabashed adoration of Jesus...well, it's hard to describe. And sisters, we are so blessed because we get to experience that every Sunday, if we choose to.

There was time for fellowship, time for walking, time for praying...time for eating. And more time for eating:) The nicest part of our time at the conference was that we could choose to follow the schedule...or not. Tuesday after lunch, I was tired. So, I took a nap instead of going to the session. That nap was equally ahhh-mazing:) This morning, our little boy needed some "mama time," so we skipped rocks at the lake and played corn hole. Sometimes, little boys are the greatest teachers...

And I forgot to mention the scenery...gorgeous. This sweet little lake, surrounded by October's brilliant hues; wrap-around porches; swings; weeping willows; crunching leaves; cool, crisp mornings; foggy sunrises...the majesty of God's creation all around.

If you were able to attend the conference, then you have your own impressions, your own grateful thoughts about your experience there. If you weren't able to attend, I would encourage you to consider attending next year. You have a whole year to plan:) In a couple of weeks, the teachings from the conference will be available for download on the church's website. When it becomes available, I'll post a link here and let you know. I encourage you to take the time to listen to each teaching and share them with others. If you don't have a way to listen to the teachings in the mp3 format, let me know and I will get you a CD.

Sisters, our little fellowship of believers is being used in a mighty way...2 radio stations ministering all across West Central Indiana, our school, the Pastors' Conference, this blog...and many, many other ministries. Lift up our church and the many ministries the Lord has called us to...ask for protection, for vision, for discernment. Ask the Lord how He might use YOU in one or more of these areas!

God, we thank You for all the ways you are working in our lives. We praise You for this Pastors' Conference...for all the churches and families represented there. We ask for Your blessing, Your vision, Your wisdom. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Praying the Word 8.29.11

God, we are needy. Desperate. Hungry. Tired. Dirty. Poor.

We need You. To meet our needs. To give us hope. To feed us. To revive us. To cleanse us. To give us the riches in Christ.

But more than that, we need You to show Yourself to us. Show us Your glory! Show us Your character, Your grace, Your mercy. Reveal Yourself to us, Oh God.

Show us Yours...Your hurting people, Your needy people, Your suffering people. Show us who we can touch, minister to, comfort, encourage.

Thank You, that You are a God Who saves. A God Who heals. A God Who loves. A God Who was...and is...and is to come. Thank You, God, oh, thank You!

Praying the Word 8.15.11

Father, thank You for Your Word.  For Your promises...that You keep them every.single.time.  That Your Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  Forgive us, Lord.  Forgive us for not obeying Your Word.  Forgive us for hearing You clearly and choosing to disobey.  Forgive us for turning a deaf ear to Your patient instruction.  Forgive our unwillingness.  Help us to be doers of Your Word, and not hearers only.  We need Your help to be obedient.  We cannot obey without Your Spirit moving within us.  Thank You for the lesson of the rich, young ruler.  Help us to be willing to give all....everything we have...to You for Your glory, for Your purposes.  Thank You for loving us....for loving us in ways that we can understand and see, and ways that we cannot begin to comprehend.  Help us to live for You...In Jesus' Name, Amen.  

Prayer--Are we committed to it?

I recently had the urge to pray for the women of Calvary Chapel. I originally wanted to let these women know that they were being prayed for, so I quickly wrote a blog post wanting to share this. I discussed it with a woman in our body and she said we need to be committed to praying for the women of Calvary Chapel. This hit hard. Truth be told, I am not a committed praying person. I want to be but sometimes I forget and I let the world come in and take over. So how do I become committed to praying for the women of Calvary Chapel? I have to go to God. I have to ask God to give me the desire, the remembrance and the opportunities to lift up my sisters in Christ.

You know what? Even though I may fail there are women of Calvary Chapel who are committed to pray right now and the women of Crawfordsville Calvary Chapel are being prayed for. The specific needs, cares, and hurts may not be known, but you know what else? God knows them. And when God is asked to mend hearts, heal wounds, tend to the women of CCC, He knows exactly what to do, when to do it and where.

So, yes, you are being prayed for! I am being prayed for! That is huge. That is big. That is something to embrace. We are being lifted up to the Father, our Father who created us, who knew us before we were formed, who loves us. Who loves you.

That my friend, is something to rest in. Think about it. He loves you. He sees your hurt and your struggle. He sees it. He sees you. Trust that. Don't rely on your experiences with people - because people are human. They make mistakes. They forget to pray! They fumble and tumble through life. They are as human as you are. That helps me to know that whatever "stage" of life we are in, we are equals in the sight of the Lord and He gives us grace. He picks us up after we have faltered and gives us new mercies.

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

So let's learn to be committed to prayer specifically for each other. Let's bring it to the Father who wants to hear from us and who rejoices in seeing us love one another.

~Nina

**If you feel led to pray, want to learn to pray, NEED to pray, please join us on Saturday mornings at the Women's Prayer Meeting. 10 AM in the sanctuary. Come and go as your schedule permits. Lord, teach us to pray...**

2 Corinthians 3:1-6...Notes from Pam Markey's Excellent Teaching

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;[a] for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Last night, we were treated to the excellent teaching of Pam Markey. If you don't know Pam (and I really don't, other than the few times she's taught at Calvary over the last 10 years), she is a real joy to be around. Raised on the mission field (Africa, to be exact), she and her husband George served Calvary Chapel and the Crawfordsville community for several years before being called into the mission field. They and their nine children served (and still serve!) in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan until George's death a few years ago. Now, Pam serves as a teacher at the Bible college in Hungary.

We opened with worship and Pam launched into 2 Corinthians 3. We only got through the first six verses, but the teaching was so impacting! Pam rounded out each section of scripture with a series of questions and I've listed them, along with the corresponding scripture and my notes, for you to use in your own personal study and reflection.

Question #1: What were the Corinthians demanding from Paul? Do we begin again to commend ourselves?
Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? (v.1)
Personal Application: What do I feel is demanded of me to be involved in ministry?

Question #2: What does Paul cite as his credentials?
You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (v. 2-3)
Personal Application: What qualifies me to do the ministry I am called to? Who has qualified me? (see Colossians 1:12)

Questions #3: What would I like others to read in me as an epistle? (remember that "epistle" means "letter" or "missive," and can refer to a public or private directive or teaching...so 'others' can be a multitude of people or just one other person)

Question #4: How does Paul reassure the church of Corinth of their ability to minister?
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (v. 4-6)
Personal Application: In what ways have I felt unfit, unworthy to be a minister of the Gospel? Have I acknowledged and identified that feeling? Fill in the blank: I can't minister because:___________.

My Notes:
My weaknesses are God's strengths.
Could my weakness be the very thing that ministers to another person's heart? Brings healing, restoration?
What do I have in my hand (think of Moses at the burning bush...he held a staff in his hand, a symbol of his failure)? Am I willing to give over whatever is in my hand (my weaknesses, my failures) to Jesus and let Him do mighty things with whatever is in my hand?

*Offer my weakness as a GLAD sacrifice...to be burned up. Receive what God offers in exchange.*