Who Do You Turn To?

I HAVE A JOB!  Yes, you heard me right, I am gainfully employed.  I will start working on Thursday.  They even invited me to attend a farewell party for an employee on Wednesday afternoon so I could meet everyone.  So far, each person I have met has been so kind and personable.  Several people talk about the practice as a "family".  To me, that is super important.  I will be working at a doctor's office in Lady Lake, Florida.  Lady Lake is home to one of the largest retirement communities in the entire United States.  The have over 200+ daily scheduled activities for the residents.  Their property expands across two counties and Disney has been involved in much of their design and landscape features.  There are four physicians within the practice and they are actively recruiting additional MD's.  They specialize in Internal Medicine, Pulmonology, Nephrology and Family Medicine.  There is also a sleep...

Over the last month we have been attending various local churches for the am service.  It provides us the opportunity to worship and listen to a message without having to worry about being the ones to put it all together.  We recently heard a message that was frankly incorrect.  I was quick to become inflamed with the false teaching and wanted to confront the Pastor immediately post service.  My husband is a little more of a slow burn and thought it best to wait.  I believe he may even have pushed me slightly past the man as he was greeting people as they left the service.  The teaching was on Revelation 12:1-6.  Now, Revelation is an extremely difficult study.  Steve and I took a three month class together on this book.  Steve, of course, studied more about it in seminary, but it is not easy to understand.  There is a tremendous amount of symbolism.  Chapter 12 is discussing the woman and the dragon as follows: "1 And a gr...

This week I had a difficult situation arise which dissolved me into tears.  My sweet husband held my hand and told me he loved me.  This song was playing on the radio as I was crying and it occurred to me, again, I just need to turn to Jesus when times are tough. Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin Great is Your faithfulness oh God You wrestle with the sinner's heart You lead us by still waters and to mercy And nothing can keep us apart So remember Your people Remember Your children Remember Your promise Oh God Your grace is enough Your grace is enough Your grace is enough for me Great is Your love and justice God You use the weak to lead the strong You lead us in the song of Your salvation And all Your people sing along So remember Your people Remember Your children Remember Your promise Oh God Your grace is enough Your grace is enough Your grace is enough for me 2 Corinthians 12:9 boldly states, "But he said to me,' My grace is sufficient for you, for my po...

My mom made this for our church potluck last week and it was a huge hit.  She got the recipe from a dear friend who is now in heaven.  It is perfect for summer and super easy to make! Grape Salad from Pat Candee by way of Ruth McKeeby 4 cups of grapes - green, red or mixed cut into halves 8 ounces of cream cheese 8 ounces of sour cream 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup of pecans 1/4 cup brown sugar Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and white sugar until smooth and somewhat fluffy.  Fold in the grapes and 1/2 cup of the pecans.  Pour into a 9 x 13 dish.  Mix the remaining pecans and the brown sugar and sprinkle over the top.  Chill and serve. Enjoy In His service Mally

It is dead silence in the camper this morning.  Steve has left to take his mom to the eye doctor and help her run some errands.  I am sitting at the C@TL "desk" and Ike is sleeping on the sofa.  I even turned off the air conditioner as my husband likes it meat locker temperature.  There are 800 children at Lake Yale this week for summer camp.  You would never know it.  I cannot believe how quiet it is.  Sometimes when we step outside you can hear games/activities in the distance, but inside nothing.  The occasional car or golf cart passes by which feels odd, but mostly it is just silence.  Typically we would have the TV on.  Not necessarily that we were watching, but Steve would have checked the weather and then it would be left on - for noise.  When I was single it was on for the same reason.  It just made it feel like there was someone else there even if I was reading or cleaning.  Well there is no TV in the camper....

I have been out of work since June 15th.  Now, part of me is really not complaining all that much.  But, the part of me that pays the bills and wants to continue to buy groceries is getting concerned.  I lost count of how many resumes I submitted on-line.  The job hunt has become very impersonal. So, you search through what seems like thousands of opening on several different websites.  You pick the things you either have experience with or that interest you in some way.   You are asked for either one of two things.  The first is your name, phone number, email and to upload your resume.  The other is a very lengthy on-line application and your uploaded resume.  I believe, conservatively, I went through one of those two about 12-15 times before we left Virginia.  When all I got back from these companies was "Thank you for submitting your resume for such and such position, we have gone with another cand...

Well it is official - I have lost control of my temple.  I spent several months earlier this year getting a handle on my eating only to have stepped on the scale a couple of days ago and realize I have gained back everything I lost.  I had also purchased some new clothes only to realize they don't fit very well now.  Honestly, I am a little disgusted with myself.  How does it get away from you so quickly?  I could blame it on the move, the stress of trying to find a job, the move again, trying to build the church, and selling a house, but they are just that, excuses.  When I look back on how I used to treat myself, I am so far away from that it is scary.  Now, I know what all of you are thinking.  It was easy to eat right and exercise when you were single without all the responsibilities; however, that is just another excuse.  I know plenty of married people with kids and jobs and they still make time for some form of exercise and they stil...

Well, yesterday was my first missed day posting to the blog.  It was truly a Monday.  We moved from my parents house into our "lakefront" property at Lake Yale Conference Center.  For those of you with no idea where Lake Yale is, I have posted a link.   http://www.lybcc.com/   A 27ft camper is now home and we feel really blessed to have been given this place to stay.  It was definitely a challenge to fit everything inside.  I guess I should clarify, we did not bring everything.  We downsized a bit on the clothes, doubled up on each hanger, left a few of Steve's books behind and the harp is staying at Mom's for now.  It took two trips to get everything here.  Just as I pulled in, my parents pulled in behind me.  They had been to a doctor's appointment and stopped by to see the new digs.  My mom marched right up to the sink and began washing dishes for me.  I unloaded my car and attempted to figure out where to put ev...

Sunday is typically taken as a day of rest.  However, in ministry Sunday is just like a regular weekday.  It is a day of work.  People employed in ministry will take another day off during the week to compensate for working on Sunday.  Today, Steve will be preaching on the work done in the church by its congregation.  When you look at the work you do, rate it against the text below and understand that God rewards you at a later date for the work you do here on earth. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing  that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance  as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ." Colossians 3: 23-24 ESV

This recipe is so simple and goes great with either the Hummus or the Bean Dip recipes already posted! 1 package of pita bread (I like wheat, but your choice) Olive oil Seasoning of your choice Cut each round pita in 8 equal triangles.  Separate each triangle into two pieces.  Lay them outside down (so the middle of the pita is facing up).  Spray with olive oil and top with your favorite seasoning.  I like to use herbs de provence or italian seasoning with parmesan cheese.  You can use anything!  Place in a 400 degree oven and bake until golden brown.  The time will vary, mine usually take about 15 minutes.  They can be stored in a large ziplock bag once cooled.  Enjoy In His service Mally

Recently I discussed how just because doors open does not mean you need to walk through them.  Today, I would like to re-visit the issue as a door has been re-opened for us.  As you know, we have been staying with my parents in a 55+ community.  My mother requested passes for us to be able to stay long term until we could sell our home in Amherst.  We have received notice from the Community Administration that we will not be allowed to stay longer than 30 days.  The 30 days is up next Thursday.  So after having told Lake Yale we appreciated their offer, but would not be needing the RV, we have had to call them back and say "Can we take you up on it anyway?" They have been very gracious and are preparing the trailer for us as we speak.  Even to the point of cleaning it.  It is going to be tight on space, but it is free and on the Lake Yale Conference Center campus.  This means we can walk to church, yes I said walk.  There is a possibil...

The old testament is full of major and minor prophets.  The purpose of these books in the bible was exactly that, to prophesy about the future to come.  The Old Testament was based on the law and how an individual fulfilled the law.  Realizing this was impossible because of man's fallen nature, God provided us a different way through Christ.  The prophets foretold of the future and specifically of Christ's coming.  Once He came, prophets were no longer necessary to tell His story.  Prophets today bring God's written word to those who need to hear it.  They bring sin to light and explain judgement in the face of unrepentant sin. When I came to the realization this was my gifting, I came to understand more about myself.  My husband just yesterday was describing me to one of our church attenders.  I believe the words he used were, "Mally is pretty much black and white, there isn't a lot of grey, to her most people just don't yet...

We have asked our C@TL attendees to consider doing a survey to help them uncover their spiritual gifts.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  The first is to help believers understand the special talent (s) God has given them to use within the kingdom.  The second is to help them better understand themselves.  There are times when you think you are gifted in one area, when in fact you are gifted in another.  This was the case for me.  When I came to understand my true gifting, it was like the blinds had been lifted from my eyes.  I could see why God had made me the way I was and I understood why I had been struggling with certain personality traits. As a child, my one and only area of trouble was my mouth.  If I thought it, I said it.  Didn't matter where I was, who I was with, whether it was appropriate, or who it might hurt/offend.  It just came right out.  Often times, it wasn't necessarily so much the words but the "tone" ...

How would you define worship as it relates to a church setting?  For me, worship has a lot to do with the music and general atmosphere of the service.  Others believe, every part of the service is considered worship.  The two seminaries I am familiar with define their "School of Worship" as the place where the music students attend.  The churches I have attended also defined their "Worship Pastor" as the man/woman who leads the music.  This person is usually in charge of the sound, lighting, interior decorating, and layout of the service as well.  They shape the overall tone of the time you spend in your weekly service. When I reviewed the dictionary for definitions of worship, this is what I found.  It can be defined as either a noun or a verb.  As a noun, it is "reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also; an act of expressing such reverence, a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual, extravagant respect or a...

Last night was our first full service at C@TL .  Steve and I had been planning it all week, trying to get everything in order, things purchased, photocopies made, emails sent, you name it!  We went several hours early to set up the rooms.  We started putting out the chairs, setting up the laptop/projector/sound box, and getting the children's room fixed up.  We thought we had all this time and we soon found out the time disappeared in an instant.  Our plan had been to use iWorship for three songs, have prayer/scripture reading, do a welcome, dismiss the kids, sermon using powerpoint, invitation with another iWorship song, mission video, slideshow of the backyard bible club and dismissal with a song.  At twenty minutes to 5, we are hastily trying to get the sound up and running and the slideshow for VBS is not working.  People are coming in at this point.  We are suppose to be mingling and talking and registering kids.  When Steve ...

"For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for this mercy." Rom 15: 8-9 "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."  1 Cor 4:1 "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." 2 Cor 4:5 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."  Gal 1: 10 "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men".  Phil 2:6-7

Here is a great summer recipe for hummus.  It can be served with bread, chips or veggies.  Enjoy! 2 cups drained well cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved 1/2 cup tahini, optional, with some of its oil 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling 2 garlic cloves, peeled, or to taste Salt and black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley. In His service Mally

One of the most important things we can do to develop our church is build relationships.  In fact, that is one of the most important things in life.  Everything you do is built around relationships with others.  Your family, your friends, your job, your hobbies, your neighborhood, your church is all about your interaction with others.  How deep that relationship goes is dependent on the time you invest into that person or persons. To build a relationship takes time and commitment.  Not something people have a lot of these days nor something they are willing to give up.  We learned quickly at Oasis, people, as a general rule, were coming because of Bubba and Nedra.  Either from relationships they had established the first time they lived there or because of the ones they were developing this time.  When they met people they showed a true interest in the person and their family.  People responded to that, they felt welcomed and valued.  ...

There is a term used now in church planting called being "fluid".  The original word was "flexible".  They mean the same thing - adaptable.  I am quickly finding myself having to be fluid.  Yesterday, Steve and I made a trip to the Lifeway Bookstore in Orlando to hunt down a couple of things.  One was a music DVD, which we did not find.  The other was some kind of children's program for C@TL .  Let me just say - my spiritual gifting is not in the children's department.  Don't assume that to mean that I don't like children.  I do, in fact, I love kids.  I will be the first to step up for a babysitting job.  That; however, does not translate into Children's Director.   As I sat on the floor in Lifeway, I tried to figure out what would be the most simple yet worthwhile way to have the kids spend their time.  I also wanted something that was easy to prepare and did not require we have a ton of craft materials ...

These last several weeks, Steve and I have been taking the opportunity to visit various churches on Sunday morning.  Our church has several partnerships in place that are designed to support us until we are on more solid ground.  These churches have various members who attend our services.  Our church is at 5pm on Sundays, this makes it possible for these people to assist us on a weekly basis.  Visiting these established churches has caused me to feel some envy and to wonder how we will get to the same point in our church. 2012 Easter Sunrise service outside by the Lake! It has been a little too easy to find myself comparing our church plant to these larger established congregations.  Our plant is only one year old.  These churches are decades in the making.  It is going to take time, prayer and patience.  That is, if God's design is for our church to be "that big" one day.  I am constantly reminding myself we are to serve whoever comes...

Sometimes an open door presents itself and the natural decision is to walk through it. There are times; however, when that is not in your best interest. I find that in my efforts to control my life, I have a tendency to want to run through those doors without a lot of prayer, thought and/or counsel. My husband, by God's grace, is more contemplative and a little less gung ho. This is probably why God paired us up. He knew I needed a solid foundation on which to anchor my flying feet. With all the changes going on in our life right now, it is hard to wait on the Lord. We can easily rationalize our wants, but that doesn't make them God's wants for us. The last several days we have been working on a decision about our living conditions. My parents home is very comfortable, all of our things are put away and we have all the necessary conveniences at our fingertips. In the last 48 hours, we were offered two alternatives. They were appealing because they were very clos...

Are you a frugal person?  Do you always look for the deal, the coupon or the sale?  Do you wait for a full price item to go to the 75% rack before you will buy it?  Do you shop at Goodwill, Habitat and thrift stores?  Well if you answered yes to 1 or more of those questions, you are probably frugal.  I answer yes to all of them.  I go window shopping at Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel and then go to Home Goods, Ross and Tuesday Morning to re-create it cheaper - that's half the fun! I think being frugal is an art form.  You have to have some talent and creativity to take a throw away/give away and turn it into a treasure.  In Amherst, my lead pastor's wife and I were in a bit of a competition (according to me) at who could find the best deal.  She came home from Goodwill with a dresser, spray painted it white, added new knobs and put it in her dining room to hold her linens.  It cost her $5.  Several days later, I was at my favor...

In honor of our 1st Backyard Bible Club this week, here are some verses on children.  We need to place the utmost value on our young ones.  They are the future of every nation in the world.  They are the next leaders, healers, and inventors.  Backyard Bible Club! "The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God."  Psa 14:2 "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights."  Psa 36:7-8 "Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man." Psa 66:5 "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt 18: 2-3 "And they were brin...

Today's recipe is from Williams and Sonoma.  It is the perfect base.  You can add any flavor, fruit, jam, etc to delight your taste buds. Scones by Williams & Sonoma 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup of sugar 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 8 Tbs unsalted chilled butter, cut into small pieces 1 egg 1/2 cup heavy cream Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the butter and cut in using a pastry blender or two knives.  Whisk egg and cream together and add to dry mixture.  Use a fork to combine all ingredients.  Turn out and knead together just until combined.  Gently press into a circle approximately 8-10 inches in diameter.  Cut into 8 equal pieces.  No need to separate the pieces.  Place onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.  Serve warm with your favorite jam/jelly/preserve. Adding ingredients: We like lemon/almond flavoring.  You can...

Today, I feel the Lord is leading me to provide some scripture.  This is a very classic set of verses on love.  Please read them slowly and thoughtfully.  Remember that Christ embodies love.  If we are to become more Christ like, then we must embody love too. I Corinthians Chapter 13: 1-13 " If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hop...

Yesterday we were invited to attend a 4th of July parade in downtown Mount Dora.  It is my favorite town in Lake County.  Tree lined streets, shops, restaurants, and beautiful old homes.  It sits right on Lake Dora.  As we sat along the street waiting for the parade to begin, we spent time catching up with old friends, Pastor Pedro and his family. In all the time I lived here before I never attended a parade.  There were the usual fire trucks, police cars and ambulances.  Local politicians were promoting for the upcoming primaries by passing out paper fans, flyers and candy.  Antique cars, segways and motorcycles filled in the gaps.  Everyone was throwing candy to the bystanders.  We had a small boy standing next to us, perhaps 3, who quickly learned the concept of grabbing for flying candy.  We helped him fill his daddy's pockets, taught him to wave at the parade participants and wave his flag.  He was quite frightned of the moun...

Well, we are now officially church planters!  We have spent the last several days getting out thoughts in order and doing some planning.  There is so much to do and it seems that before we know it the day is gone and we aren't sure how we are going to get it all done.  It is a very familiar feeling from about 3 1/2 years ago.  Only this time, we are on our own and having to make the decisions instead of following the lead.  It seems so very surreal. Tonight, Steve and I were sitting on the sofa in the Florida room watching the Backyard Bible Club video and practicing the word and hand movements for five children's songs.  It was quite a site really.  We set up a facebook page ( www.facebook.com/churchatthelake ) and were giddy when we had 11 "likes" in 15 minutes!  We made sure the website was up and running ( www.chatl.org ).  We looked through a couple of church management programs and signed up for a webinar on one of them.  We sy...

Tonight my husband and I watched the movie Fireproof.  We have had so many people tell us how wonderful it was, but have never had the opportunity to see it.  I have to admit, I asked him to see what else was on when it began, but he seemed to really want to watch it and before long I was hooked. The movie plot uses the book Love Dare to restore a broken marriage.  The Love Dare Book Fireproof Today's movie choices are not the most wholesome.  I had looked just tonight while getting groceries in Winn Dixie at the Redbox vending machine.  There was not a single new release I wanted to take home.  We decided a while back, we wouldn't watch anything that wasn't PG-13 or less.  It has been quite challenging to find a movie worth our time that falls into that category.  We were avid movie theatre goers during our dating years, but we hadn't placed any restrictions on the ratings at that point.  Today, even PG-13 isn't always the most ...