Baptismal Celebration – June 7th

I know it is still over a month away BUT I’M GETTING SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT (yes…that is me yelling in the office in my excitement)!!!!!  A few great things happened yesterday which I think will be awesome for us in regards to the baptismal celebration.  We’ll know for sure next week, when we get a definitive answer I’ll let you know.  BUT if you have never experienced baptism or can’t remember your baptism…let me encourage you consider being a part of this baptismal celebration.  June 7th.  If interested, send Ann Lynn an e-mail here and we will send you a packet of information all about baptism and the celebration coming up.  It’s going to be OFF THE HOOK!

Oh…free t-shirts for those getting baptizedl!!! (don’t let that be the reason for getting baptized…I’m just saying…extra perk!)

LSC Child Dedication 2009

On May 10th we will have our annual Child Dedication.  If you have had a baby born within the past year, or if you are new to the Living Stones Church over the past year and have a child who is 5-ish (we aren’t strict or legalistic about it, if your child is 7-ish and you want to do this…it will be OK ) and you want them to participate in this ceremony we need you to sign up by sending an e-mail to Ann Lynn and give her:  1) the name of your child(ren); 2) their birthdate; 3) the service you plan on attending – 9:30 or 11:30; and 4) about 5-ish (I kind of like the word “ish”) pictures of your baby/child.

Child Dedication is a time for us as parents and a community of faith to dedicate our children to God asking for his protection, purposes, and blessing on our children as well as pledging to raise them in the faith of Christ Jesus.

Don’t miss it.  Invite all of your friends and family and look forward to a great celebration on May 10th!!!

P.S…Ladies…we have some great things in store for you this year (it is Mother’s Day).  Remember last year on Father’s Day we handed out brats & burgers to dads…I’m just saying…don’t miss it.

Living The Life of God’s Intent

God NEVER creates someone and says, “This is Stacie, when she grows up, she’s going to be addicted to meth!”  Nor does God create Tony and say, “This is Tony, he is going to grow up never being able to hold down a job because he can’t stay sober long enough to keep a job.”  So, then how do women grow up and become addicted to meth?  How does Tony grow up and become an alcoholic? You can ask this question of very human tragedy and malady that exists…and the end answer is…BECAUSE OF THE LIE (whether they ever intended to or not) and have forgotten who they are.  The lie has taken a hold of their life in such a way that they have surrendered a FREE life for a life that is enslaved, in bondage, addicted, or to different degrees lost of control.

What Jesus came to restore is the FREE life (John 8:32, 36) that God intended for us all along.  The path to a new life, an abundant life, a Viva la Vida life (as we have been talking about) can only come when we are truly free.  And by “free” we don’t mean we “get to do whatever we want” (which ironically is only the enslavement to myself ) but free to see ourselves through the eyes of God’s intent.  We are truly free when we are living out our truest, real, most authentic, God-image stamped life!  And that life comes to us through Jesus Christ as his truth exposes the lies that have kept us in bondage.  You can hear more of that message here FREE Life message.

In the message I refer to two resources that I recommend to those who need some help systematically working through some possible areas of life that have lies at is foundation.  One is a book by Neil Anderson entitled Bondage Breaker.  Several asked for a copy of it, for which they have been ordered, but if you would like to purchase this resource for yourself you can find it here:  Bondage Breaker

The second is just the workbook that goes along with the Bondage Breaker book and it is entitled Steps to Freedom in Christ and you can order your own workbook here:  Steps to Freedom

May the Lord bless you with heavy doses of liberating truth that you might live out a Viva la Vida life…a NEW, ABUNDANT, and FREE life!!

This Sunday:  ETERNAL life…which is WAY more than just what happens after death.  Don’t miss it.  Bring a friend.

The iBible

Source:  MMI blog

This is the bomb!!

4.28.09 Biggest Loser – Filipe

GREAT SHOW!

Tara.  What else needs to be said.  Tara. Amazing.

Fantastic weight loss numbers this week.  How do you lose 10 lbs. and STILL fall below the yellow line?  Unbelievable.

Helen, “I finally decided to play this game for myself.”  WHAT!!!?!!?!!   FINALLY!!!?!? You sent your own daughter home!!!  You’re just now playing this game for yourself?!  That is about as believable as Ron not knowing Mike was voting for Kristin.

Filipe…going home.  I like that guy.  I can’t believe Ron is in the finals.

Loved what Filipe did with his family.  Inspiring.  That is so cool!!!

Put Me In Coach I’m Ready to Play…Today

Coach Mark Ekdahl just called.  Our 1st Living Stones Church softball game has been canceled due to the weather!

I really don’t want to play in miserable weather, but at the moment:

• I’ve got my batting gloves on (while typing)
• I was just throwing the softball with Isaac warming up
• I’ve got my LSC uniform on
• I’m sporting some cleats
• I’m even wearing baseball pants…do you know how long it’s been since I’ve put on baseball pants?  Oh well…maybe I’ll put them on for Kelly later

We were supposed to play Jay’s Lounge…don’t know any of them, but I have this picture of playing a good game and then afterwards, the guys at Jay’s Lounge invite us to…the Lounge!

Guess we’ll wait till next Monday – Boland Park @ 6:30 p.m.

FREE Life

This week we continue the third week of our series on Viva la Vida with a message entitled FREE Life.  In our staff meeting this week I threatened to just show Braveheart (the greatest movie ever made in the history of humanity) clips the whole time!!  I still might do it. 

Jesus’ desire for your life is…FREEDOM! Free to be the real, the true, the authentic, the God-image bearing person you were created to be!!  All too often because of life situations, circumstances, choices, habits, decisions…we find ourselves enslaved to thoughts, actions, people, and/or objects.  We (most of the time unconsciously) surrender our freedom and end up less than free (to put it mildly) enslaved (to put it more bluntly).

Living a Viva la Vida life…is to life a FREE life.  That life is found in Jesus. Sunday…we’re going there!!!

Fight in the Gym Follow-Up

“But this hatred for each other later blossomed into a beautiful friendship, as these things most often do.” – Dwight Shrute (The Office)

Several weeks ago I posted about my fight in the gym with two older men who hog the cleaning bottles for themselves.  One of the two has reformed his ways and now follows better gym etiquette.  The other, has completely ignored my admonition and continues to take a cleaning bottle for himself.  BUT…now, we talk every morning when we see each other.  He is complimentary and a rather nice guy.  I kind of enjoy seeing him.  We’ve become friends.  I would eat ice cream at Dairy Queen with him.

He still steals the bottles.  It still annoys me.

But I like him and we have become friends !  Funny how things like that work out.

192 Days

It hasn’t been 80 degrees or warmer in South Bend, IN in 192 DAYS!!

Today is supposed to be the day.

I’m happy.

I’m going to the zoo before the day is over (and by “zoo” I don’t mean “church office”…I mean literally…the zoo).

The Taco Bell Drive-Thru Song

Source:  Simply Josh

I’m craving me a grilled stuffed burrito!  This is good.