Welcome Back Baseball….

Its the greatest time of year. Spring Training is over. The smell of freshly cut grass and hotdogs and peanuts are in the year. Every team has a chance, Its opening Day.

But withe baseball (FINALLY!!!!) back, I thought I would share some wonderful quotes (mostly the same as last year, but I hope to add some more throughout the day) and a video at the end that gives me goose bumps every time I watch it. Do you have nay great quotes to add? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below.

You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you.- Roy Campanella

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. ~A. Bartlett Giamatti, “The Green Fields of the Mind,” Yale Alumni Magazine, November 1977

You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970

“Character, Courage, Loyalty.”

Little League Motto

One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something- Nolan Ryan

Don’t tell me about the world. Not today. It’s springtime and they’re knocking baseball around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball. ~Pete Hamill

That’s the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball. ~Bill Veeck, 1976

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby

Baseball is beautiful….the supreme performing art. It combines in perfect harmony the magnificent features of ballet, drama, art, and ingenuity.-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn

 

 

 

Casey

Proverbs 16:3

3 months in Yale!!!

I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since we arrived in Yale, WA!  The months have flown by, and life is changing quickly.  In our own family, Caleb is now 6 months and crawling, Rosie has decided talking is fun and is now speaking in paragraphs, and Finn turns 4 in just two days!  We all are enjoying being out in the country, and love being outside as much as possible.

Our ministry is growing and expanding.  Casey has preached a few times, and people are shocked that he’s nervous, because they can’t see it.  He’s been helping teach the men’s bible study, as well as the adult bible study.  We have a weekly prayer time with the men and women that is also amazing.  There are some mighty prayer warriors here in the valley.  I am helping with mom’s bible study, and am teaching an after school kid’s class until the end of may for the 1st – 5th grades.  These kids are amazing and sweet.  1/2 don’t go to church at all, and are hearing some of these bible stories for the first time.  Their questions and enthusiasm are wonderful and insightful, I am learning as well as leading.

We have really been pouring into the youth group, 7th-12th grades.  We’ve shared a little about them, but they hadn’t really had much for quite a while other than some sunday school.  We have an average of 15 kids, and are growing.  We officially outgrew meeting at our house this last week and are invading the church, which is fun. These young people have lots to contend with, between home situations, school, and just being teenagers.  They are eager to learn, share, and grow, meeting our challenges to them and really taking their faith into their own hands and making it their own, knowing what they believe and why.  We just took them to the Son of God movie, and that made for interesting discussion.  They saw they knew more of the bible than they thought, pointing out missing parts of the story or conflicting events.  They are quite smart and, well, just wonderful.

We are really getting to know others in the valley, as well.  A big part of our ministry is just being with the people, visiting with them, and sharing our lives together.  One family in the congregation just adopted their 6th son, and we were able to be there with them, which was awesome!  He quickly became one of Finn’s best friends here, and our families have become close, so it was extra special to be there to celebrate with them.

There are many we are becoming close with that do not attend church, some that aren’t that interested in faith, and these are the people we have to be especially consistent with,  caring, being there when they need, and living our faith in friendship.  This is when God reveals Himself and shows His faithfulness.

We would ask for prayer for our community in some different ways.  There is not really any direct employment in our community, so jobs are scarce and commuting to Vancouver or Portland is tough on people and on families.  The kids here can spend as much as 3-4 hours a day on the bus.  Many believing women in our church community have husbands who are either apethetic toward church or outright hostile, so they are having to carry the spiritual burden for themselves and their children.  As with other older congregations, many health issues plague our church.  Cancer, heart issues, and other physical ailments keep many home instead of having fellowship with friends.  I know these concerns are not unique to our area, and your communities are facing other issues that we would love to pray for as well.  We have a prayer request page link that you could write in, or just send it directly to us, letting us know if we can/should share it in our church prayer time, here, or keep it to ourselves. This is how we can be the body of Christ for each other, no matter where we are.  Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support, which helps us do the work we feel God is giving us to do here in Yale.  We thank God for you every day.

 

A mother’s joy

As mothers, we get to share our faith with our children often.  Sometimes by reading bible stories, other times answering questions, and sometimes using life as object lessons.  With all, we pray that some of it sticks.  You know the verse, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”  I do this often, just praying that a tenth of the good I teach sinks in, not the things I do wrong.  But I was reminded this last week, that it is not what I say or do that gets to my childs’ hearts, it is Christ Himself and His word that works in their lives.  I got to see that with Finn.

I was in the kitchen, cooking dinner, when he came around the corner, cute as could be, playing a little doggy guitar his aunt had given him for his last birthday.  He started singing, not asking me to be his audience, like many other times.  He already had one.  He sang, ” I love Jesus, God you are strong, God you are the only super hero in real life, God is good for sin, He takes our sin and timeouts.  God you are beautiful.”

My 3 year old was praising God, and in his simple song, was more profound than many so called preachers in the pulpit on any given Sunday.  He, with his child-like faith, showed understanding I strive for and miss on many days.  I bent down, misty-eyed, and thanked him for singing.  He asked me, “mommy, did you like my song?”

“Yes, Honey, I think it’s the best song I’ve ever heard in my life.”  I got to see the grip God has on his life, and am so excited for his next song.

What Lent is and is not

What Lent is and what it is not

                There is a lot of confusion out there about what Lent is and what it is not. This is my attempt to clarify things. First, Lent is not mentioned in the Bible. It is an extra biblical tradition, and if done with the right heart, one of the best ones, in my opinion.

What it is not: Lent is not a time to change yourself, though it may have that effect. It is not a time to change the world, though we should be trying to do that. It is not a way to prove how good of a Christian or how disciplined you are. It is not a way to earn righteousness or favor with God.

What Lent is: Lent is primarily about remembering Jesus sacrifice for us. It combines two sacrifices he made, with one obviously infinitely more important than the other.  Jesus, while preparing for his ministry, spent 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and praying. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus was able to refute the temptations that Satan provide him with. This is where we get the 40 days of Lent.

But Jesus also sacrificed his body and his life to defeat sin and death and so that we would have the opportunity for eternal salvation. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice. He died on Good Friday and was raised up on Easter Sunday. This date is the most important date in the history of the worlds and is one of joyous celebration for Christians around the world. We end the period of Lent on Easter Sunday as a celebration that Jesus sacrifices was completed and successful.

The reason to practice Lent: Lent is intended to be a way for us to remember how hard the sacrifice was that Jesus made. We have a tendency to take for granted the historical fact that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. We forget just how much of an effect this has on us. Lent is a way for us to get closer to God, to align ourselves with God’s will and most importantly, to remember the ultimate sacrifice that was made on our behalf.

How to practice Lent: These are just going to be some principals on how to implement this so as not become legalistic. It is meant to give some ideas, not to be a rule book or a checklist. If you give up something that you purchase, such as Starbucks, or ice cream, use the money you would spend and donate it to a charity or to your church. When you give this money over, remember 2 things; first, it was not your money anyway. God gave it to you and now you are giving some back. Second, the money and the coffee you are sacrificing is nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus gave in our place. If you are giving up a hobby or a meal or something that takes time, take the time that you would be eating lunch and use it to study the Word, or pray.

Again, the point of Lent is to remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ, who is God, came down from heaven as a man, lived a perfect life, committed no sin, died on the cross to pay the price for our sin, and rose from the dead to defeat Satan, sin and death. Live this and celebrate this.

Casey

Hebrews 10:1-18

Active Faith, and Holy Spirit convictions

So here is the follow up to my sermon on Genesis 13. This ism y sermon on Genesis 14! Its names you can never pronounce, more than you ever thought you would hear about Melchizedek and learning that people cant change before they meet Jesus, they need Jesus in order to change.

Thanks ahead of time for the feedback!

 

 

 

Casey

Proverbs 8:1-11

Godly wisdom vs Earthly Wisdom

So this past Sunday, February 23rd, I preached on Genesis 13, where Abram and Lot went there separate ways. Im pretty proud of the content, even though i can find many critiques about my delivery. What feedback do you all have?

 

Casey

Matthew 6:25-34

Finally got what we were promised!

So when we moved up to the base of Mt St Helens, we were told to expect rain (more than the Portland Metro area), wind (east winds are strong here) and snow. We are at the base of the mountain after all.  And in the month and a half that we have been up here, we have gotten a little bit.

The first week we got an inch that the kids were able to go out and have a blast in, so we were already getting more than we normally would back down in Portland.

After that we have gotten a few dustings, but this has been the driest winter on record up to this point.

Then this morning happened…
2014-02-06 16.30.46

And we got it the wind with it too. Our car is parked completely under a carport and still looks like this…

2014-02-06 16.30.58

The car ended the night with three inches of snow on it. Under the carport.

 

Now we are told to expect another round tomorrow night. The pastor here has pics of two or three winters ago where the snow is stacked so highyou cant see out of any of the windows in the church. Right now its beautful outside…

 

2014-02-06 19.50.26

 

But the kids are gonna have a blast tomorrow, I can promise you that!

Oh, and Minnesotans, you are free to laugh at us right now, Hope is!

 

Casey

Psalm 148:8

the armor of God

So The passage from Ephesians about putting on the Armor of God has been coming up a lot in the last few weeks and so I went back to my old blog and adapted this post and revised it for current posting.

 

Ephesians 6:10-20

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

How often do we dress ourselves in the WHOLE armor of God.  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness and peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and prayer.

 

 

Look at those pieces;

Truth

Righteousness

Readiness

Peace

Faith

Salvation

The Word of God

Prayer.

These are the things that we need to dress ourselves with everyday. These will help us win our battle against the powers and principalities, the spiritual forces of darkness. How often do we believe the truth but not pray, or have peace about our salvation? Each of these things individually does not do a lot to help us. That is why we need the WHOLE armor of God.

Another thing to note when looking at these things is that all of them are defensive, protection items except for one, “The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” The sword is an offensive weapon. When Satan is tempting Jesus in the desert, Jesus attacks him and rebukes him with the Word of God. The single most important thing a Christian can do to stay walking with God is to stay immersed in his word.

 

Each day remember to focus on truth, righteousness, peace, readiness, faith, salvation, prayer and the Word of God.

Casey

Matthew 10:34

 

It’s all about the kids!!!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  I, (Hope), have always loved this verse and sentiment, because it first shows how Jesus loved the children and that they were important to Him.   Also, and I might be reading into it a bit, but “there’s is the kingdom of heaven”  is true here on earth as well.  They will take over the earthly kingdom when we have all finished messing up what we can.  These children that come to youth group and good news club, or Awana, are the future financial planners, judges, real estate developers, teachers, doctors, bums on the side of the road…  what can we do to help or hurt???

Well, I have started teaching good news club weekly for about 20 kids that come right from school to the church for club.  The fun thing is that less than half of the kids actually go to our church, so it’s a fun outreach as well as an opportunity to work with the kids.  GNC is a part of Children Evangalism Fellowship.  It stresses the gospel with every lesson, and is VERY structured, which is great, but keeps me on a short leash, which might be a good thing!  We have to adhere to what is in place, because we will only be here a year, and then they take it over again, so it doesn’t make sense to change something and change it back.

The kids are great, of course!  We have the three boys in the back that like to roughouse, but have lots of fun answers.  The four girls who sit close on 3 chairs, whispering and answering for each other.  The shy boy in front who loves to be called on, but is nervous to raise his hand.  They really get into the lessons and games, but are shy singers.  They are from 1st to 6th grade, and every face that looks up at me during that hour I have them every week makes me want to pour more time and care into how I present these stories of Jesus’ life, and His work on the cross.  These precious children that Jesus loves choose to hang out at church after school, which means their hearts and ears are open to His word.  If only we were that open as adults, giving up time during the week to hang out and talk about Jesus with the excitement I get from them.

We also are starting the youth group up again after a year of nothing!  They will be 7th – 12th graders from the church and community.  We’ve been told to expect 20 on a good day.  They were used to the boys and girls going through separate studies, so we are really changing the format and getting everyone together for Casey’s teaching.  We are kicking off on Super Bowl Sunday, and watching the second half of the game at our house, and then seeing what the group wants to study by having them ask questions they have about faith, the bible, God, anything they want to know about.  We are praying that God will give us a clear direction for the youth group because there are really no parameters here, and the youth in this community really don’t have much to do, much leadership, not a lot of responsibility in the church,  and seem to be the age most in need right now.  You know when you get that fire in your heart when you see what God’s doing in a group or area, I don’t think these kids have had that for some time, and I am praying we can get that fire and vision, and show them that they matter to God and the church.

This church we are serving at does so much for so many ages and issues, and the kids are well loved.  I get to be a part of that with good news club.  Now we get to pick up the gauntlet with a small but important area that is less represented and create something new.  Pleas pray for God’s guidance and will, and discernment with where these kids are, who will be good student leaders, not just fake it well, which we have a few of.  Thank you for caring for the kids, both in our area and your own.