WHO'S DRIVING?

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This is a photo I took yesterday as my husband and I were driving to town. He noticed it appears that nobody is driving the car! I carry my camera with me in my purse wherever it goes - and its not a small compact, either.

This caused me to think of driving and how the very human side of me does not always want to be the passenger - no, somehow I always wind up somehow sliding over into the drivers seat. And when I get there I complain about how long the trip is, the cost of the gas,how much trouble it is to get from point A to point B, about having to pay attention and missing out on the scenery. About the other drivers. Complain, complain, complain. And then, when I stop and think about it a bit I realize that many of these times I did not even need to be driving. Somehow, I pushed my own chauffeur over to the passenger seat and WILLINGLY put myself in the drivers seat. Yes, I'm talking about spiritually.

God as the driver, me as passenger. I start off as a passenger, relaxed and eager to simply trust and enjoy. He already has the car serviced, gassed up and ready to go. He's mapped out where our journey will take us and He's promised to travel with me so I'm never alone. He will provide EVERYTHING for our trip. But somewhere along the way I decide I want to be in control, even though He's an expert. I push Him out of the driver's seat and into the passenger seat - sometimes right into the BACK seat - and then I complain as if I HAD to drive.

And then, only later after I get tired, or lost or break down do I ask Him to take control. Why does it always take a roadblock of some sort for us to give up control? I've got to constantly remind myself that God has a plan for my life. He's waiting to travel along with me and keep me company for the entire journey and to see to all my needs along the way. If I allow Him to drive I can get to know Him better and even enjoy the scenery along the way.

There is a guide that never falters,
And when He leads I cannot stray,
For step by step He goes before me,
And marks my path, He knows the way.

Oft times the path grows dim and dreary,
The darkness hides the cheering ray,
Still I will trust, tho worn and weary,
My Saviour leads, He knows the way.

He knows the evils that surround me,
The turnings that could lead astray,
No foes of night can ere confound me,
For Jesus leads, He knows the way.

~ unknown

I'm sorry this is a short post today - I am behind after being away last weekend and busy this week with some work projects. I will be online for our MSN chat tonight from 7 -8 pm. I would love to spend some time with you if you can make it!

NOTE: We are accetping donations of cake mixes to make cupcakes to serve at the concert being held at our Church on June 24th when Penny Johnson will be performing for us. Please bring your cake mixes with you to Church on Sunday!

CONCERING POVERTY AND GIVING

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When I decided on the theme of poverty for this blog post I thought it would be very easy to write about. I thought I would have something down in a very short time, but once I started to think about it, I found my thoughts like an onion – each time I got through one layer there was another. Poverty is a very deep and complex subject. It occurred to me there are two sorts of poverty – physical poverty and spiritual poverty. After ruminating long and hard I also discovered the two are connected in many ways. In some ways, if you 'get' the spiritual end of tihngs it takes precedence over the physical. Some scriptures immediately come to mind:

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Proverbs 22:9

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Mark 10:25

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Now I would not class my husband and myself as being rich. We live in a rented house, we have one vehicle. We live on one income. We own one old tv which works with old, broken rabbit ears and receive three channels, and these not well. I buy over 90% of my clothing and household items from either yard sales, thrift stores or at liquidation stores. We only have one credit card and that's used only for emergencies mostly. So, according to the world's view we are definitely not rich.

this?

or this? and why, why you, why me?

But I FEEL rich. I can't tell you one thing I 'have to have' at this moment. I feel like even if I never bought another piece of clothing or most things – I'd not have done without. I'm very content. And I'm pondering what this means when I know that there are so many needs which I have the power to fulfill. What a tremendous responsibility! One thing I DO know, God has not blessed us with all we have to simply hoard it.

this? (without the fancy dish or table setting...)

or this? (half this gets TOSSED out anyways!)

I'm so grateful that God is working in my heart to cause me to think about how to be a good steward of what He's blessed us with in our finances. I find myself questioning even the simple act of having an extravagant coffee or dessert. I wonder whether I need another shirt/skirt/lipstick. I'm not saying I simply stop buying these things, but I do try to translate what each of these items could mean if I put this money instead toward a charity or good cause. I have questions like:

yes, even your PENNIES!

What if everyone present at church one Sunday would reach into their pockets, turn their purses upside down and give every single CENT. Even if it were not MUCH, it would still be something. Multiply it times 52 (weeks in a year) and I think we would be stunned to find out how much this translates. This is pocket change – 'spare' change. Some people live on what we carry around not doing anything more than making a pleasant jingling sound. I've even known people who consider anything less than a quarter not worth stooping over to pick up off the ground.


What would be better – to give everything we own away and go live amongst the poor and help them – or – to stay right here and, using our talents, finances and wisdom to seek the will of God in how to use what we have to bless others? I think its a hasty decision to simply choose the first option. In some ways this would be the easiest thing to do. Its so straightforward and 'pat'. Don't get me wrong, I'm entirely grateful and in admiration for someone who might choose to do this, but on the other hand I totally see how using what we have right now can impact others just as effectively if done wisely.


I think a danger of simply choosing the first option might be ineffective if we simply wind up being one of the poor ourselves and become another 'need' to someone else. We must be careful to think the process through. If your talent lies in teaching people how to become self-sufficient, you speak another language, you like to travel and you have a heart for other cultures, then the first option might be a perfect fit – but if you are the second type of person, perhaps we're better off staying home and financially assisting the person who chooses to go out into the mission field. I have complete admiration for my brothers and sisters who are led to do missions. Another option is to help fill the needs in your very own community with both your financial assistance and volunteering your time. Or even to support a reputable charity organization to realize this help in a bigger way in other areas of the world.


I guess this point of choosing carefully whether to 'go do' or 'stay do' could be illustrated by the picture of a rescue. There is a local river which, as it flows into the lake, has several places which have dams to regulate the flow. The river is not a particularly fast flowing one but wherever the barriers are it creates a powerful undertow and turbulence. For some strange and tragic reason it occasionally attracts teens to come and swim anyways - and there have been fatalities. There are numerous signs posted warning of the danger.


Not all of the deaths were a result of one kid (even though he should not be swimming here at all!) getting too close to the barriers and the suction proving to be too much. But then of the deaths have occurred when a second teen jumped in to save their friend without a thought to their own safety. VERY noble – but obviously not so smart. In this case it would have been wiser for the surviving teens to have called for help. It would not have saved the first person but it would have prevented the death of a second person. Would I do the same? Its really hard to say – in an immediate situation we often don't have time to think. With our finances we do. And sometimes our finances can mean life or death to someone who lives in extreme poverty.

someone's Grandpa, father - BROTHER TO ALL OF US...


YOUR grandma, sister, friend?

So why not think about what we have – and how it can best be used? Lets thank God for giving us a heart that questions our 'wealth' (no matter how much or little this might be) – and ask Him to guide us to be wise stewards of what we have – right now!

For me personally – digging around in my purse for change (besides being a tad noisy and embarrassing) is a physical way to remind myself to GIVE. Its also a reminder to me that even when I feel like I'm 'broke' – I'm not, really.

I also have a ton of other questions swirling in my mind – things like “what if God gave all the money to people who had pure hearts?” (that's a complex and tricky one, for just because we might have a pure heart we might not have the WISDOM to use it wisely – we'd probably give it to EVERY need, legitimate or not)

Do YOU have questions or thoughts you can share about our topic? You can post comments here on our blog by looking for the COMMENTS at the bottom of this blog post and clicking on it. No need to register or anything. You can also email me at occwomenonline@gmail.com We look forward to hearing from you.

So today, I've covered mostly about financial poverty – but I'd also like to explore the subject of spiritual poverty. Perhaps I'll post next week on this topic. I found this poem online which I think is a good preparation for this topic.

The Legacy

She could not give her children gold,
So she gave them faith to have and hold.

She could not give them royal birth...
A name renowned throughout the earth.
But she gave them seeds and garden spot
And shade trees when the sun was hot.

She could not give a silver spoon
Or servants waiting night and noon.
She gave them love and a listening ear
And told them God was always near.

She could not give them ocean trips
Aboard majestic sailing ships.
But she gave them books and quiet time,
Adventures found in prose and rhyme.

She could not give them worldly things
But what she gave was fit for kings.
For with her faith and books and sod,
She made each child aware of God.

attributed to Alice Leedy Mason

I'm going to also inviting each of you to listen to an episode of Midday Connection – a radio show from Moody Bible Institute. Its a talk show hosted by Anita Lustrea and Melinda Schmidt. You can listen to the show by clicking HERE and then, from the archives, choosing the May 14th show, called Poverty. Just click your mouse on the word LISTEN to the right and your computer should open up Windows Media Player and play the audio show for you. Alternately, if you own an ipod you can download the program as an audio podcast directly. I'm hoping if as many of us can listen (sometime in the next one to two weeks) to the show we can use it to enrich our bible study and we can discuss it on our Wednesday night msn meeting.

When you look at poverty with your ♥ HEART♥ instead of your wallet, God transforms something of reluctance and sacrifice into something of a privilege and a joy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONCERTS:

Saturday, June 6, 2009 - Southern Country Gospel Trio: “One Heart” at the Osoyoos Baptist Church @ 7:00 on. Admission is free.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at Osoyoos Christian Centre – Penny Buhr Johnson. Formerly from Oliver, now moved to Saskatchewan. Penny taught 'Music for Young Children' for many years in the valley and was chosen 2004 Teacher of the Year for the South Okanagan and District. Penny has pursued her dream and fulfilled her desire to record her music and now has two CD's to her credit. She was also awarded CGMA 2008 Female New Artist of the Year and GMA 2008 Instrumental Semi-Finalist. Penny's has composed all her own music and features a unique mix of jazz, blues and ballad type songs. Why not visit her website to listen to some audio clips, read her biography and purchase her music online! Just click HERE.

Ahem! Since we will be providing desserts for the night of Penny's concert we welcome donations of packaged cake mixes. We hope to make a ton of cupcakes. This may lead to a later 'baking' date at the church, we will keep you posted.

PROJECTS:

We are hoping to raise enough funds to install a new parking curb and drain. This is a 'have to do' project for safety reasons. (if you've ever visited our church and parked above the highway with nothing between you and a steady flow of traffic 100 ft. Below you KNOW what I'm talking about) The curb will cost $1365.00 and we require 20 parking blocks as well @ $40.32 each = $806.40, making a total of $2171.40. We have raised $1920.96 so far. If you feel the need to exercise the theory of loosing those small coins from the bottom of your purse this might be a great way to start :)

PRAYER REQUESTS:

This spot could be yours – leave a comment or email us at occwomenonline@gmail.com and we will add your prayer request to our blog, ensuring our readers will join in to lift your needs. Thank you for allowing us to do this for you.

THANK YOU'S

Thank you to all the women who turned out to help our Sister Isabelle by packing and moving her belongings to the new residence. Its a beautiful apartment she's going into and it should be nice for her.

REMINDER:

The women of Osoyoos Christian Centre meet online on MSN Messenger each Wednesday night at 7:00. We would love for you to join in our conversation. If you need help getting set up just email me at occwomenonline@gmail.com and I'll walk you through getting set up. Alternately, if you already are familiar with MSN messenger you can just 'be here' on Wednesday night and add me as a user. My username is lalalime.

Thank you for visiting our blog!

All photos used in this blog post are under Creative Commons.

OCC MOTHERS, POEM, PICS AND ... A CONCERT!

A few of our OCC Moms!

Mother's Day brought a sweet surprise to some of us Mom's from Osoyoos Christian Centre. Besides a wonderful word from (Pastor) Jim we all shared some of our stories of Motherhood. Not all of it was sunshine and roses (yes, roses seems to be the theme of this post!) - rather we heard many different views of what Motherhood means.

We heard of Moms who took on extra children. We learned about Moms who went 'the extra mile'. We learned about the mentoring which forms us as responsible adults. We heard of Godparent Moms stepping in as a Mom in one instance. We learned about Moms who were not truly appreciated till they were no longer with us. Each individual story opened our hearts to want to appreciate the Moms we have - while we have them. We learned that being Mom is as much a privelege and opportunity, as much as it a responsibility.

Of course, the ultimate example, had to be the picture of Mary as she watched the crucifixion of her Son, at the cross on that day, so very long ago.

And obviously, the Moms of these men of our church had a good Mom-example because they provided (NOT CARNATIONS - which is typical) but roses for our Moms... and here they are trying to create an assembly line to deliver them in a way they could be transported home. I don't know about you - but the 'Mom' in me was most impressed they'd forethought to provide the ziplock bags, paper towel and elastics!

photo credit: flavolka@sxc

And so, I think its fitting I post this wonderful poem I found with a rose theme for your enjoyment.

UNFOLDING THE ROSE

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.


~ © Bryan T. Burgess ~

And of course, along with our rose themed blog post I would be amiss not to include the powerful worship song "Above All" by Michael W. Smith as a reminder for us as we go about our busy week. I pray you will think on Jesus and his sacrifice and keep it near to your heart to bruise it - keep you open to the needs around you. In case you have not watched a youtube video before, to hear the song you need to click your cursor on the triangle in the middle of the picture below to get your computer to make the video start - make sure your sound is turned up!

*****

A few prayer requests - can we please lift up Angie as she does her practical this week - shadowing etc at work so she can get used to what being a care aide is like in a day to day setting.

Please pray for Rose's son - lets stand by our sister to pray into the needs of her children.

Can you pray for my friend Valinda (she's one of our blog visitors) - the Lord is leading her and her ENTIRE family to a missions He's been laying on their hearts for several years and they are now seeing it come into action. What a blessing!

Another (blog) friend of mine needs prayer for some family members and their health issues. Thank goodness, like the internet can reach across the world, so our Lord too does not have 'borders' between prayers!

We are helping to pack and move Isabelle on Wednesday. If you can be of help - via your hands/and or with a vehicle it would be much appreciated!

Due to moving Isabelle I'm not entirely sure if we will be on MSN chat on Wednesday night - but I'm going to open it up anyways and be there (at 7 p.m. PST) - so if you need prayer or would just like to talk to me about what God has been doing in your life, why not send me an invite on MSN and I'll add you in. My username is lalaime

*****

Penny Burh Johnson

One of my dear friends, Penny has been following our blog (I do send out updates when I post, let me know if you would like to be notified by email - or not) Penny has responded... with an offer to do a CONCERT at our church! This is hugely exciting, and we are already planning and thinking on combining it with a Dessert Night! (so get ready for a baking night, ladies!) If all goes as planned, Penny's performance will take place on Wednesday, June 24th.

Penny was selected as the CGMA 2008 Female New Artist of the Year and has produced two CD's. You can find out more about Penny and listen to some song samples by visiting her website. Just click HERE!

*****

Thank you all for stopping by to visit our blog today. We would love to pray for YOU - just leave a comment and we will lift up your needs. We welcome your comments as well as your contributions in the form of poems, scriptures, photos and dialogue!

POEM BY GUEST VALINDA & FLYING IN THE SPIRIT AND CONGRATULATIONS!

One of my dear blog friends who's a fellow Believer has blessed us with a poem she wrote some years ago. We were discussing this week's topic - obedience and this is what she provided for us along the theme. Valinda is a fellow scrapbooker too, and this is the layout she made to go along with the poem.

If you knew my Father

And the love he has for you,

You would not question him

Or the things that he might do.

He has only good intentions

so that you are truly blessed,

He wants to have you with him

where there is peace and rest.

The things that happen here,

you may not understand.

There are struggles left and right,

But he has the upper hand.

He's always there to help you,

even though you may not call.

His guiding hand will lead you

so that you will never fall.

With your faith and trust in him,

it can be a wonderful thing.

Who knows all the mighty works,

that trust in him might bring?

He said that he is with you,

and he will carry you through.

He is our loving Father,

and he really cares for you.

By Valinda Johnson

Valinda hails from Georgia, USA and she's visited and commented on our blog. Valinda has had the Lord's hand upon her life and some exciting things are happening for her and her family. Thanks for contributing, Valinda and we welcome you to share anytime! You can visit Valinda's blog by clicking HERE.

*****

Unfortunately I had a VERY busy week and did not get time to phone around for prayer requests. But, Kaye did phone me to share the following thought!

Kaye wanted to share that she recently experienced that she was "flying in the Spirit" - something I am unfamiliar with, but basically she 'saw' a sweeping flyover in her mind of a flight over the vast forests and land. What her interpretation of this vision was the Lord's hand over our country. Kaye has been in serious prayer for Canada and believes the trees represent the Great Army our Lord is raising up in our Land - HIS army of righteousness.

Lets all pray alongside Kaye for this beautiful country we are blessed to live in, that God would keep us free - and we would use our freedom to help others who do not have this choice.

I'd like to share a photo I took on the way home from camping last Friday - how can we not see God in the sheer beauty of a scene like this? Also, please pray for my father in law as he's recovering from surgery for his knee. Thank you!

Please send your thoughts, prayers, photos, poems, scripture or - well anything to me at lalalime(at)hotmail{dot}com and I will gladly post it to our blog. This is a great place to say "hello" or "happy birthday" or "congratulations" or "sorry you're not feeling well" or "I encourage you" to someone in our Church Family!

In fact, congratulations are in order to Danielle and Brad as their business - Kick Start Printing has moved to a new location on mainstreet. We wish you success in your new business home - its now located at 8131A Main Street - between Unity and Macdonald Realty, in the building which used to be Jackson's. Why not pop in and check out their new diggs and get something printed?

REMINDER - If you're free tonight, or any Wednesday night please join us on MSN Messenger for our OCC Women's Online Meeting. If you've not joined us before, please send me an email with your MSN username and I can invite you to our online meeting. We start at 7:00 PM - looking forward to connecting with you!