Fight It

Join with others in helping The Breast Cancer Site reach its daily quota of donating at least one free mammogram to an underprivileged woman - low income, inner city, and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click the pink window in the middle that says Click Here to Give - it's FREE!

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors and advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that each year over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Approximately 1,700 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die each year. If detected early, the 5 year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogrm. The National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that women in their 40s and older have mammograms every 1 - 2 years. A complete early detection plan also includes regular clinical breast examinations by a trained medical professional. Monthly breast self-exams are suggested in addition.

Be sure to add this site to your favorites and click on every day ... before you check out the Creekside blog!

Joining you in fighting ~

Linda

Professional Mystery Worshipers

Notice anyone new coming to your church recently? Anyone lurking around ... checking out the greeters, the bathrooms, the closets? Are they gazing up at the ceilings ... or perhaps critiquing the grounds, the music, the preaching, the stripes in the parking lot?

Could they be a professional mystery worshiper?

I laughed outloud as I read one reader's observation, "Are there really churches out there whose leaders can't spot a cobweb or a stuffy odor without the assistance of a paid professional? I wonder what their homes and places of business must look like."

Read on ...

Wondering what's coming next ~
Linda

From Pen to Paper - Hope

"Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord - now and always" - Psalm 131 (NLT).

1. Decision

David has made the decision to approach God. What must that have been like for this powerful warrior and king - a man of incredible energy, passion, and might? He lets go of all that grasps for his attention. Pride is released. The heavy mantle of leadership is abandoned. Decision making is set aside. He releases all that is "too great" and "awesome" in his world.

2. Rest

And he rests. His body, most likely weary from long stretches of time in battle. His mind, from all the weighty decisions that come with leadership. And as he makes those choices to rest both mind and body, his soul becomes able to begin that often difficult journey toward being still. And quiet. Before God. He allows God to speak peace into his weary soul. He becomes just like a little child, cuddled and relaxed in his mother's arms in the moments right after awakening. His spirit is enfolded in the protective arms of the One who loves him best of all.

3. Discovery

And in that serene place of tranquility, he is able to hear the voice of God. He rediscovers hope. First for himself. The oft' empty well of his own soul is refilled with the pure, life-giving water of the Spirit of the living God.

4. Renewal

And from the filling of his own well, comes abundant hope to share with those he loves and influences. From the place of stillness and peace, he gains strength and wisdom that enables him to share the nourishment that he himself has gained.

These are the times when God has our attention and is able to love us the way our souls yearn to be loved and cared for. "... those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength ..." - Isaiah 40:31 (NIV).

Loving how He loves us ~

Linda

A Great God For Difficult Times

In the midst of deep stress, Isaiah the prophet, had a winning perspective: he looked at how great God was instead of how big his problems were. In Isaiah 40 he asks “To whom then, will you compare God?” His answer describes some of the magnitude of who God is:

(1) God measured the waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand (40:12).
(2) He weighed the mountains on the scales (40:12).
(3) He spreads out the heavens like a tent to live in (40:22).
(4) He created the heavens and calls each of the stars by name (40:26).

With a God of this magnitude, we wonder “Is my way hidden from the Lord?” (40:27). To us that means, "Does He really care; does He know what is happening to me and now difficult it is?" One of our problems is that we bring God down to our level and think of Him as either forgetful or tired.

Isaiah, however, affirms that God knows and He does care. He has no limits; He never tires – even of listening to our concerns. In fact, instead of His not understanding our problems, we are the ones who do not understand His ways (40:27,28)

Isaiah encourages us by saying that God multiplies abundantly our strength when we feel weak and unable to cope (40:29). He reminds us that the God who upholds the stars also supports His weary people. The verb in verse 31a suggests that He exchanges His strength for our weakness. At the close of the chapter the exceptional flying and running do not require as much strength as does the constant day by day walking – for the every day walk demands an ever-flowing stream of grace which He is sufficient and willing to supply. Ask Him today for His strength – He loves to lavish His power on those who ask.

Trusting Him, Bob

Authentic Family

How does God view the Church? Frank Viola maintains that He sees the Church as family. Not corporation. And in this family, 3 attributes apply.

1. The Members Take Care of One Another.

2. The Members Spend Time Together.

3. The Family is Community Not Corporation.

Read more ...

In my conversations (many), reading (lots), education (degrees in Organizational Management and Christian Counseling), and life experience (challenging), I've discovered that the larger our churches grow, the more likely that they will morph into corporations. Sometimes rather quickly, but more often slowly but surely.

Authentic, biblical family and CEO-run business organizations? Like oil and water. They just don't mix. If you shake oil and water together, at first they swirl around and look like they are one. But before long, they have separated. They are seldom compatible. Organizational needs in the church, usually measured in numbers, seem to end up superceding the biblical mandates to love one another, be kind to one another, encourage one another, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, etc.

So what do churches need to do, or better yet, who do they need to BE in order to be a biblical family - and yet develop and maintain needed organizational structure?

> Are you part of an authentic family?

> What are your relationships like?

> How's that impacting you?

> Are you becoming more like Christ as a result of your church experience?

> What needs to change? Within you? Within your church?

> How can you be a catalyst for positive, biblical, authentic community where you are?

Continuing to ponder how growing churches can balance loving one another well and needed organizational structure ~
Linda

From Pen to Paper - The Builder

"Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good"
- Psalm 127:1 (NLT).

HE'S IN CHARGE ... All our efforts are useless, futile, and meaningless without His wise and powerful leadership and guidance. He calls the shots. We don't.

HE BUILDS ... lives, families, churches, ministries, governments.

HE PROTECTS ... He guards. Nothing can touch us that He does not allow. He will protect our souls. He will not abandon His own.

"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord."

Linda

Cozi?

Wish you had some help organizing your family life? Cozi is a free online service that allows your family to stay connected and is accessible from any computer or mobile phone. All in one place, you have the freedom to develop and access:

> a color-coded family calendar

> shopping & to-do lists

> posted chores

> a family journal

> photo collage

> ability to send quick reminders & messages

Cozi? Or ...? What do you think?

Pondering technology's impact on our families ~ Linda