You have got to love the things kids say. Some of the following are statements that kindergartners made;
"Dear God, instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you've got?"
Jane
"Dear God, thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy."
Joyce
"Dear God, I bet it's really hard to love everybody in the world at the same time. There are only four people in my house and I can never do it."
Nan
"Dear God, if you give me a genie lamp like Alladin, I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set."
Raphael
Dear God, the teacher said that Edison made light but I heard in Sunday School that you did it. I bet he stole your idea."
Donna
Dear God, please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year."
Peter
"Dear God, Maybe Cain and Able wouldn't kill each other so much if they had their own room. It works for my brother and me."
Larry
Dear God, please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now."
Ginny
"Dear God, if we come back as something please don't let me be Jenniffer Horton because I hate her."
Denise
"Dear God, if you watch in church on Sunday I'll show you my new shoes."
Mickey
Sometimes I love day dreaming about great childhood memories. I grew up in a good family with 38 cousins and at last count over 80 second cousins. We stopped counting the third cousins because it felt like we were taking the federal census. We would have a family reunion every Labor Day. Most times we would have to reserve the entire park. I can remember the kids all over the place and all the excitement that came with the energy of a big crowd. Everyone was safe because we all watched out for each other. Even to this day when our family gets together we have a blast. The things kids say reminds me of the innocence of those times and the expectations we all had that everything was good and there was no prospect for that to ever change. Well, we all had to grow up and face the rest of what life had for us. For the most part it was good. There were a few tragedies, a couple of young cousins died as children. That still hurts a little even though we know they are with God. Out of 350 some Stricklers I can think of less that 20 divorces. That says something these days. I feel blessed to be part of great family traditions.
One of my favorite childhood stories was when my mom and I were at odds with each other. I thought she had been unfair about a number of things. I don't remember what they were now but I can remember hearing a line on TV where the Actor said, "This place isn't big enough for the two of us! One of use are going to have to leave.!" In the heat of the moment I said to my mom, "This house isn't big enough for the two of us! One of us is going to have to move out!" When my Dad got home that evening he made it very clear who would be moving out if he didn't behave. Mom and I laugh about it now but I don't think she enjoyed the comment much the day of. Kids say and do the darnedest things. I remember a few choice things my girls said when they were little. I'll spare them the embarrassment here but talk to me later.
I sit here this sunny day reflecting on God's goodness to our church and to our families and friends. Take a moment this week to write a note or a text or an email or twitter or whatever it is you do to communicate with a family member or a friend about how much you appreciate them.
See you in church.
As always, I am expecting God's best.
Great days ahead!
Steve
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
When Life Gives You Lemons...
Have you ever noticed that some people respond to bad news better than others? I can't recall when it happened but I clearly remember a time when I decided not to let what life throws at me to determine my attitude. I discovered that most times the most powerful tool I have at my disposal is the choices I make when something unexpected happens that isn't all the pleasant. Such was the case on the morning of August 6th a couple of weeks ago. Ruthie and I had left the day before on a much anticipated car trip in our little convertible Mazda Miata. The car was a recent purchase for the purpose of relaxation and fun drives in the country. Emily, our daughter recently married to Jeremy, was having a reception in Nampa Idaho where Jeremy grew up. Jeremy's family all live in Nampa and so they were planning a fun gathering of family and friends to celebrate the recent wedding. Ruthie and I were really looking forward to the trip which we were sandwhiching in between seven days of our road trip. Looking forward to the vast and beautiful parts of Montana and Idaho we were going to be driving through we set out on the morning of the 5th. The first night we stayed at a nice new Holiday Inn in Lewiston, Idaho. After an evening diner it was back to our room and a good nights rest. The next day we would travel through Grangeville, Riggins, New Meadows, Macall and then down into Boise and the Treasure Valley. A beautiful drive of about 280 miles. I got up at about 6:30 Friday morning and started getting ready for the day. I went out to the parking lot where I had parked the car the night before and to my shock, found that someone had taken a knife to the cloth top. My first response was, "Are you kidding me! That's going to be expensive!" The next thought was,"I wish I would have caught the rascals in the act!" My next thought I've already asked forgiveness for so there is no need to post it here. Now if the car was an old beater it would have been one thing, but this was a beautiful 20 year old car I found sitting in a teacher's garage for the last 12 years with less than 34,000 miles on it. It was like brand new. I was very proud of the purchase. As I stood there looking at the top cut into pieces I knew I had a choice to make. Will I let this destroy our vacation or will I be glad for the low deductible on my insurance policy and just go buy some gorilla duct tape patch the top together for the rest of our drive. I decided a long time ago to hold onto things losely and people tightly so the choice was actually pretty easy. It is only a piece of cloth I would need if it rained. We moved on and, by the way, had one of our best times ever!
The point? We all have choices to make as life throws us curve balls. At Silver Creek Family Church we are constantly vigilant to help people live life to the fullest and honor God at the same time. That means occasionally we have to turn lemons into lemonade. Good thing most of us really like lemonade.
As you face your week, be thankful for the people God has placed in your life. Remember the relationships you have are for life, the things you possess will fade and wear out. I continue to expect God's best for all of us.
Great days ahead!
Pastor Steve
The point? We all have choices to make as life throws us curve balls. At Silver Creek Family Church we are constantly vigilant to help people live life to the fullest and honor God at the same time. That means occasionally we have to turn lemons into lemonade. Good thing most of us really like lemonade.
As you face your week, be thankful for the people God has placed in your life. Remember the relationships you have are for life, the things you possess will fade and wear out. I continue to expect God's best for all of us.
Great days ahead!
Pastor Steve
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Training at Silver Creek!
Our staff and interns went on a short retreat to Greyland, WA last week. It was fantastic and we had a great time! We spent hours talking, praying and dreaming about ministry and what we feel God is putting before us in the coming year. We are conscious of an ever-changing culture and it is critical that we be engaged in following God’s plan to accomplish His work. We looked at our Core Values, and we talked about how effective we have been in functioning within those values. Our Core Values are Worship, Connect, Invite, Train and Serve. We are always evaluating the effectiveness of ministry at Silver Creek. We want to stay relevant yet grounded.
One area we felt we could improve was in Training. We want to provide opportunities for all ages to grow and continue to be challenged. We have been effective in providing Invite events and Connect opportunities. We are excited about our entry points including FUSiON, Adult Worship and Student Ministries on Wednesday and Sunday nights but we also want to be conscious of the depth of ministry and ongoing growth.
This fall we are offering on a number of new Training opportunities. These classes and programs are directed at taking those already involved at Silver Creek to a deeper level. We know that it is critical to grow in depth of knowledge and in knowing God personally and relationally. If we are better equipped with Biblical knowledge and application then we are also more able to tell those, in other areas of our lives, about Jesus.
I am highlighting a number of these different Training opportunities. If you have any detailed questions please don’t hesitate to contact any of the staff we would be happy to discuss any of our programs with you!
In September we are kicking off, SWAP, a program for our 7th-12th graders. To further develop the Word of God as an important part of our students growth, SWAP will be used as a tool that will provide an in-depth study into God’s Word. It uses Bible study, fellowship and competition to get the word into the lives of our teens. This year the study will be on John. Participation can be at whatever level that works for your student’s needs. The basic level is time spent together in the Word trying to get the Big Picture and apply it as individuals. The higher levels would involve the students taking time to study and memorize key verses from John on their own. The level of participation is up to the discretion of the teen and their parents.
SWAP will be meeting on Sundays from 5-6 PM and will be led by Roger Sauter, Rain & Anne Sterns and our new High School Intern, Breanna Hemingway. We will be having a parent informational meeting about SWAP before our last two Summer Spectacular Showcase Events on August 22nd and 25th from 6-6:30 PM. We encourage any parents that are interested in knowing more about SWAP to attend one of those sessions. We feel this program is worth your time and know that an hour a week can make a huge difference. For more information please contact Roger Sauter at rlsauter@gmail.com.
We are also kicking off a Women’s Bible Study class on Thursday Evenings. They will be reading and discussing “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. The class will start on September 9th and be offered every other Thursday. The ladies will be meeting for dinner at 6:15 PM and then moving to the study at 6:45 PM. Penny Bravo is taking the lead and Cidney Ratliff will be supporting her as needed. Signups will start soon, the course book only costs $9 and we believe this will be a powerful tool for all women interested in going a little deeper with their studies.
We are also launching another Financial Peace class on September 12th. This class is incredibly useful in taking control of your financial situation and looking for ways to find peace through the process. Many of those that have taken Financial Peace have been thrilled with its results. Consider this as an opportunity to grow in understanding and freedom in your financial decisions. The introductory video will be shown after church on the 12th and the following classes will be offered on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 PM.
As you can see, we are interested and committed to offering more training to you and those that you know. Please take advantage of these opportunities. We believe your time and energy will not be returned void. There are many volunteers that are making these new classes and programs possible. We believe in them and appreciate all that they do to make Silver Creek a challenging and engaging community!
God Bless! See you Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz
One area we felt we could improve was in Training. We want to provide opportunities for all ages to grow and continue to be challenged. We have been effective in providing Invite events and Connect opportunities. We are excited about our entry points including FUSiON, Adult Worship and Student Ministries on Wednesday and Sunday nights but we also want to be conscious of the depth of ministry and ongoing growth.
This fall we are offering on a number of new Training opportunities. These classes and programs are directed at taking those already involved at Silver Creek to a deeper level. We know that it is critical to grow in depth of knowledge and in knowing God personally and relationally. If we are better equipped with Biblical knowledge and application then we are also more able to tell those, in other areas of our lives, about Jesus.
I am highlighting a number of these different Training opportunities. If you have any detailed questions please don’t hesitate to contact any of the staff we would be happy to discuss any of our programs with you!
In September we are kicking off, SWAP, a program for our 7th-12th graders. To further develop the Word of God as an important part of our students growth, SWAP will be used as a tool that will provide an in-depth study into God’s Word. It uses Bible study, fellowship and competition to get the word into the lives of our teens. This year the study will be on John. Participation can be at whatever level that works for your student’s needs. The basic level is time spent together in the Word trying to get the Big Picture and apply it as individuals. The higher levels would involve the students taking time to study and memorize key verses from John on their own. The level of participation is up to the discretion of the teen and their parents.
SWAP will be meeting on Sundays from 5-6 PM and will be led by Roger Sauter, Rain & Anne Sterns and our new High School Intern, Breanna Hemingway. We will be having a parent informational meeting about SWAP before our last two Summer Spectacular Showcase Events on August 22nd and 25th from 6-6:30 PM. We encourage any parents that are interested in knowing more about SWAP to attend one of those sessions. We feel this program is worth your time and know that an hour a week can make a huge difference. For more information please contact Roger Sauter at rlsauter@gmail.com.
We are also kicking off a Women’s Bible Study class on Thursday Evenings. They will be reading and discussing “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. The class will start on September 9th and be offered every other Thursday. The ladies will be meeting for dinner at 6:15 PM and then moving to the study at 6:45 PM. Penny Bravo is taking the lead and Cidney Ratliff will be supporting her as needed. Signups will start soon, the course book only costs $9 and we believe this will be a powerful tool for all women interested in going a little deeper with their studies.
We are also launching another Financial Peace class on September 12th. This class is incredibly useful in taking control of your financial situation and looking for ways to find peace through the process. Many of those that have taken Financial Peace have been thrilled with its results. Consider this as an opportunity to grow in understanding and freedom in your financial decisions. The introductory video will be shown after church on the 12th and the following classes will be offered on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 PM.
As you can see, we are interested and committed to offering more training to you and those that you know. Please take advantage of these opportunities. We believe your time and energy will not be returned void. There are many volunteers that are making these new classes and programs possible. We believe in them and appreciate all that they do to make Silver Creek a challenging and engaging community!
God Bless! See you Sunday!
Elizabeth Volz
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Did you see that?
I've always been a fan of magic tricks. There are a couple of simple card tricks that I know that are pretty good but I really like the big stage magicians. Obviously the tricks that you don't expect and that you have no idea how it was done really get my attention. This past week I saw a trick that was done on America's Got Talent that blew me away. You can check it out at this link on hulu.
It was an amazing trick but I love the line the magician has, that "America this is the trick you'll be talking about tomorrow at work". I have no idea how many people were talking about the trick at work the next day but you've got to believe that's close to what people were saying when they first saw or heard Jesus in the early days of his ministry. When he'd heal a blind man or help a girl that had never walk before people had to be saying, I can't wait to talk about that tomorrow at work.
Jesus was drawing huge crowds in those early days. During one of those gatherings, of a lot of people, he shared what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. It's out of this sermon that we find the Beatitudes. You can read them in Matthew 5:1-12. People were probably talking about them the next day at work because they can sound inviting but a bit confusing. That's the focus of our current sermon series, Blessed? the meaningful contradictions of the beatitudes. If you missed the first week you can listen to it here. Actually this is a great place to go, any week you miss a Sunday and want to stay current with a past message you haven't heard.
We will spend the remainder of August looking at the Beatitudes. I hope you're able to be a part of each week and find out what Jesus is calling us to in these nine profound statements. These concepts could change the world if all of us took them to heart.
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Brent
It was an amazing trick but I love the line the magician has, that "America this is the trick you'll be talking about tomorrow at work". I have no idea how many people were talking about the trick at work the next day but you've got to believe that's close to what people were saying when they first saw or heard Jesus in the early days of his ministry. When he'd heal a blind man or help a girl that had never walk before people had to be saying, I can't wait to talk about that tomorrow at work.
Jesus was drawing huge crowds in those early days. During one of those gatherings, of a lot of people, he shared what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. It's out of this sermon that we find the Beatitudes. You can read them in Matthew 5:1-12. People were probably talking about them the next day at work because they can sound inviting but a bit confusing. That's the focus of our current sermon series, Blessed? the meaningful contradictions of the beatitudes. If you missed the first week you can listen to it here. Actually this is a great place to go, any week you miss a Sunday and want to stay current with a past message you haven't heard.
We will spend the remainder of August looking at the Beatitudes. I hope you're able to be a part of each week and find out what Jesus is calling us to in these nine profound statements. These concepts could change the world if all of us took them to heart.
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Brent
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