Announcements
Prospective
Member Luncheon—Interested in joining
New Hope? Want to learn more about being a member? On May 5,
following worship, there will be a luncheon for all those interested
in joining.
Potluck—This
Sunday!
Service
of Healing & Wholeness—This Sunday,
6:30. Come and let us pray for you, or come and pray for others.
Community
Kitchen Spot
There are a lot of hungry and homeless children of God
and the community needs some help feeding them. If you would like to
help out, please bring the following items to church this Sunday &
put them in the grocery cart.
Plastic Spoons
Paper Napkins
8 oz. Styrofoam bowls
New
Hope News
Sunday
School—This Sunday, the adult class will study 1
Timothy.
Men's
Breakfast—This
Saturday @ 8.
Laundry Detergent—The collection of detergent has resumed!
Pray
For:
Christine
Dyer
Connie
Robinson
Colleen
& Gary Smith
David
Smith
Megan
Links
Keith's
Random Thoughts
Every morning I ask Caleb if he wants to go to daycare. His answer?
An enthusiastic “NO!” We go anyway.
For starters, I don't think he fully understands the question. He
loves daycare. Given the option, he might choose to be there all the
time rather than home.
Secondly, I think he just likes using the word 'NO'. He's testing
boundaries and declaring his independence.
Third, I don't believe the fully grasps the options. He could go to
daycare, come to work with daddy or stay home by himself. Option #2
would be eternally frustrating for him, since he'd want to play and I
need to work. Option #3 might get me in some hot water with the
state of Tennessee, if Rachel didn't get to me first. There is no
option #4, which is to stay home and play with Daddy all day.
So I take him to daycare. I hate dropping him off, but it's
necessary in this chapter of our lives.
I think God works on the same level in relation to us as I do to
Caleb.
I believe that God sees a lot bigger picture, one that includes a lot
of variables that my mind can't grasp and that I can't fully
understand. I like to believe that I know everything, but the
reality is that I don't fully know how everything in this crazy world
works together. God does, thankfully, but I don't, and so sometimes
he just needs to haul me up by my armpits and carry me somewhere
else, even though I may be kicking and screaming. God does things
that I don't understand, and just because they upset me doesn't mean
that it's not the best for me. God moves me around and speaks in
different ways, and perhaps some day I will understand. Right now I
complain an awful lot, but I trust in God.
I trust that one day I'll understand why I've been sick for 6 months.
I trust that someday I'll understand why people I love get sick and
die. I trust that someday I'll look down at the world and see why
God allows bad things to happen even though he has the power to stop
them. I trust that someday I'll see how everything is working
together for good, even though sometimes it just seems like the night
grows denser and the forest grows thicker and the light grows dimmer.
I trust God. I often sin, falling short and defying him, crying out
'NO' enthusiastically through my words or my actions, but I trust
that my heavenly Father loves me and makes decisions that are for the
best. I trust God, and I pray for the courage to live that out in
everything I do and everything I am.
Text
for this Sunday
Mark
6:45-52
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead
to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After
saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on
the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an
adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on
the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking
on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all
saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and
said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Then he got into
the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly
astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their
hearts were hardened.
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