The Anxious Christian

Last Sunday two of our shepherds presented a lesson to the congregation. The title of the sermon was, “The Anxious Christian.” I’ll admit, I didn’t know quite what to expect, as one of the shepherds is a licensed therapist, and the other is an attorney. I wasn’t sure if we were about to hear a factual account of why we shouldn’t be anxious, or if we were about to take part in group therapy! Thankfully, it was a combination of both.

Over the course of the past few days, I have had several conversations about the lesson with friends and family members. Most agree that one particular visual sticks out from the lesson. It was suggested that we envision ourselves at the edge of a canyon, holding a box containing whatever it is that we are anxious about. Then we were encouraged to take that box, lift it over our heads and heave it into the canyon. This illustration was used to show how we should give our worries to God. Obviously this is a Biblical principle. “Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)

It sounds so simple, but I find it to be very difficult. I can only imagine that I am not alone in my personal struggle with turning my worries, issues, and anxiety upon God. I fully believe that God can take it all from me, and yet, somehow, I insist on holding on. Why?

This is going to kind of be a gross illustration, so if you don’t want to be grossed out, stop reading here. Okay, you have been warned…

From time to time, we all get the flu. It’s not fun, but it just part of life. We get sick. Many of us try very hard to stay away from illness. We exercise, eat right, take our vitamins, and get plenty of sleep. But, we still get sick in spite of all of the things that we do to keep from it. When a virus, (or other illness) gets a hold of us, our body rejects it because it knows that it is harmful. We usually start vomiting (among other things), until there is nothing left. Our bodies “HEAVE” whatever the problem is, because as long as it stays inside of us, it continues to do us harm. We may ultimately require medication to completely rid ourselves of whatever the ailment is, but we usually get better.

Anxiety and worry are spiritual illnesses. Even though many of us pray, study, and worship regularly, we still get sick. In the same way that we allow our bodies to fight the flu by “heaving,” we need to be willing to let God fight our spiritual illnesses by heaving our sickness onto Him. He is the great healer. He can take it all, and He wants to, but we have to willing to give it to Him. If we are willing to do that, we will get over it. If we aren’t it will eat away at us like a cancer.

So, how does one go about casting their anxieties upon God? I have already said that I find it to be very difficult. In fact, it is a HUGE struggle for me. But, I think there are a few things that we can do to help to make it easier.

1. Admit to ourselves and at least one other person that we can’t do it alone! No matter how together we think we are, and no matter how much control we think we have over ourselves, we all need God.
2. Admit to God that we need Him, and ask Him to take it.
3. Trust that God will take it!
4. Open your eyes to how God might be taking it from you. Sometimes He is working in ways that we refuse to see for some reason!
5. Repeat as necessary.
6. Repeat again.
7. Repeat again.


I am not a Bible scholar, nor am I good at following the instructions given above. But, I do know that they work! I think that the key is that as long as we feel “sick” we need to do whatever we can to “heave” it all, and give our sickness to the only One who can do anything about it.

I am thankful for Sunday’s lesson. It provoked a lot of thoughts and feelings for me. I was also thankful for the reminder of I Peter 5:7.

Thanks

Whoever left the gift for me at work, thank you. I know that it is someone who reads my blog because of what the gift was! I love it! THANK YOU! You are too kind!

I am an addict

Hi, my name is Conni, and I am addict. You know, admitting that we have a problem is the first step. That is what I'd like to do today. I am here to admit that I have a problem...I am addicted to Ms. Pac-Man. It is sad, but true.

Since about 4th grade, I have loved this game! I can remember going to pizza places and begging my mom for more quarters so I could play "just one more time!" My mother was a great enabler to my addiction, keeping my pockets full. I heard her tell my grandmother once, "Yes, she plays Ms. Pac-Man a lot, but she will grow out of it." Well mom, I hate to disappoint you, but I am 35, and I have still not outgrown my love for this game. Inky, Blinky and Pinky and I are still good friends after all of these years.

I thought that I had licked this addiction, until this Christmas. Do you know what Santa brought me? MS. PAC-MAN! This is the coolest thing I have ever seen. It is a joy stick that you plug directly into your TV, and MS. PAC-MAN appears in her original form! It is so exciting! I can play it for hours! Who needs X-Box, when Ms. Pac-Man is in the house?

I don't know that I will ever over come this addiction...and to be honest, I am not sure that I want to. Hi, my name is Conni and I am an addict....and I am okay with that.

Anyone else addicted?

Say something nice!

I was recently told by one of my boss’s bosses, that I work in a place where I have over 400 regular “customers.” I think that there is some truth to that. As a church secretary, I have a lot of people who look to me to fix problems, schedule events, listen to their issues, offer solutions, and meet their needs in a variety of areas. These same people are the ones who scrutinize and critique my work on a regular basis.

Last week, as I was completing all of the week’s work, and preparing items for our services this morning, I made an error. It was a simple error, which had no serious consequences. But it was an error, none-the-less. You see, I put the wrong date on today’s bulletin. Now, keep in mind, that 3 other people (besides me), with college degrees also proofread the bulletin. None of us caught it. It was late Friday afternoon that I noticed the error, and unfortunately, the bulletins were already printed, folded and stuffed. Being who I am, I considered rerunning all of them…but, also being who I am, decided not to because it would have been a HUGE waste of time and resources. So, I made a mental note to remember to check the date next time, and moved along.

This morning, I was not even in the building a full five minutes when one of our deacons approached me and said, “You made a mistake. The date on the bulletin is wrong. We need to announce it from the pulpit so people know that it is actually today’s bulletin.” I replied simply by saying, “Yes, I made a mistake, but I think people will be able to figure it out.” Throughout the course of the morning, about a half dozen people or so felt the need to point out my mistake. In fact, as I was leaving the building, one of our shepherds stopped me to point it out to me, and suggested that I set my computer up to automatically change the date for me.

Why is it that people are so quick to point out the negative? Why is it that so few want to share when things are right, or when something good happens? But people have no problem at all pointing out a simple, common mistake, and some seem to feel that it is necessary to announce the error from the pulpit! Is it ever announced from the pulpit when I do something right? Encouragement and appreciation go a long, long way. Pointing out only the negatives, (especially when they are negatives with little or no consequences) only bring people down, and make them feel under appreciated.

I am thankful for the few (very few) who say “thank you” and “I appreciate you.” For those who have only negative things to say, feel free to contact me at the church building during my normal work hours.

The power of prayer

Do you believe In the power of prayer? This is a little lengthy, but it is an a mazing testimony. Please share your thoughts if you are so inclined.

(this article and picture were copied from ksdk.)


It was a year ago when we first introduced you to Kayla Ackerman, a 7-year-old from Elizabeth, Colo., who had been suffering from brain tumors since she was two. By the time we met her, she had already been through nine brain surgeries for her cancer; more than most kids have ever had to endure.

Her mother, Janine, said she was so touched when Kayla's school, Singing Hills Elementary, held a fundraiser to pay their medical bills, that she told KUSA-TV, "I wish I were the one giving them the check instead of them giving it to us."

Two months later, Kayla made news again, when the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to terminally-ill children and those with life-threatening illnesses, granted Kayla's one and only wish, and took her entire family to Disney World. Janine was overjoyed, but deep down, amid her smiles and happiness, she was suffering too. Seeing her daughter in pain for so many years was unbearable. Christine Cobb, one of Janine's best friends said, "It was very tough on Janine because she never wanted to see her daughter go through this."

Janine had always prayed for her daughter, but soon began to turn to God in a different way. And in her prayers, she asked him to take the cancer 'away' from Kayla and 'give' it to her instead. Cobb says, "Janine just prayed and prayed that Kayla would get better and that she'd be glad to take on the illness, the cancer for Kayla, so that Kayla could have a long and fulfilling life."

Her friend Teri McTague said, "We always went into the hospital Chapel at Children's Hospital together and for the first time she asked me not to go in with her. She just wanted to be alone. And that's when she asked God to please take this pain and suffering away from Kayla. She told God, "I will be glad to take it all, just please let my daughter grow up happy and healthy."
Soon afterward there was a shocking discovery.

In April, Janine was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. And miraculously, Kayla, for the very first time in her young life, was declared cancer-free by her doctors. McTague said, "She just was so thankful that God answered her prayers and she never was angry because that's what she had asked Him for."

For nine months, Janine tried hard to beat her cancer, but last week, she lost her battle. Janine died at home with Kayla at her side. Cobb said, "I really don't know how to handle it because Kayla is doing so good, but we lost our best friend."

For those who ask, "Why pray for cancer?" her friends say, you must know Janine. "She just loved her daughter so much. She wanted Kayla to live." They also say Janine led a life that exemplified the power of a mother's love. "It's the Ultimate Gift that Janine could give her daughter. And it brought her tremendous peace. She left knowing her daughter was cancer-free."

Janine Ackerman was 33 years old. Her funeral was held Tuesday in Parker. She is survived by her husband Todd, her daughter Kayla, who is now 8, and her son Tyler, who is 10.

6 questions for Friday

F- Favorite Worship Song?
Blessed Be Your Name

R- Reading…?
Mainly Blogs & the Daily Bible

I- I really want to buy…?
Ummm...there really isn't anything that I want...but maybe I'd like some really good chocolate (But I am much too cheap to actually spend money on good chocolate!)

D- Don’t like….?
Dishonesty, yelling, chicken on a bone (yuck), fish, mice, guns, & what the scale said after the holiday season.

A- Ask God one question?
"Why have you been so good to me?"

Y- You are doing what this weekend?
Sleeping late, spending time with family and friends, worshipping with my brothers and sisters, and eating chili with a whole bunch of my favorite people!

What about you? How do you answer these six questions?

Answer

Yesterday I asked the question, “Does light expose darkness, or
does darkness corrupt light?” I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what kind of
answers I would get. (First prize goes to ebc for the most creative
and fun answer.) Well, today, I would like to share with you my answer
to the question: “Does light expose darkness, or does darkness corrupt
light?’

Here is my answer…

Light Exposes Darkness.
Ephesians 5:13-21

13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear, 14 for what makes everything
clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and
the Messiah will shine on you. 15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--
not as unwise people but as wise-- 16 making the most of the time, because the
days are evil. 17 So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
18 And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled
with the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
singing and making music to the Lord in your heart, 20 giving thanks always for
everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting
to one another in the fear of Christ.

These verses make it very clear that light exposes darkness. As the first comment on
the original post asked, “Would we know what darkness was without light?” Verse 15 states
that it is LIGHT that makes everything clear.

AND Darkness Corrupts Light.
Ephesians 5:11-12

11 Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead, expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.

If we have Jesus, we have light; If we don’t we live in darkness. Many of those who are
living in darkness want nothing more than to pull everyone around them into the darkness
with them. Misery loves company. There are evil people in the world who know how to
make sin look very appetizing. We need to be really careful. The world is full of people
who love darkness, and sometimes we are surprised to find them in our schools, churches,
and neighborhoods! I can think of multiple examples where Christians (those who are in the light)
have walked away from light in order to achieve their own pleasures. This shows that darkness
corrupts light.

I guess really the question could be answered and explained in 100 different ways...but
this is how I see it. I guess when it comes right down to it, all that really matters is that
we find our way into a relationship with Jesus, and we allow Him to control our lives, and
we allow his grace to cover us when we turn away from the light and toward the darkness.

Well, that is my 2 cents worth.

Question

Does light expose darkness, or does darkness corrupt light?

One Year Anniversary

It's hard to believe it, but it is true. It has been exactly one year since my first neck surgery in 2005. Yes, it was on January 24, 2005 that I was admitted to Barnes Jewish Hospital for a bone graft and spinal fusion. I'll be honest; I had no earthly idea what I was getting into, nor did I have a clue how much pain I was about to experience. Even though Dr. Riew told me multiple times that the pain would be unbearable times, I didn't believe him. I figured that it couldn't be worse than childbirth, and I managed to struggle through that! Well, I was wrong. It was by far the most painful thing that I had ever experienced. I had a morphine pump, but it didn't seem to the trick, even though I was able to give a dose to myself every 5 minutes. I remember it well. I remember MAR standing next to my bed, and asking him, "Has it been 5 minutes yet?" only to be told that it had been about 45 seconds. So, I waited, and asked again..."Has it been 5 minutes yet?" only to be told that it now had only been 2 minutes! He tried to get my mind off of the pain by talking and praying with me. Time drug on, and on, and on. I also remember JRM standing next to my bed and forcing me to eat. LITERALLY...I would open my mouth to say something and she would shove food in it! I remember JPT reading the Bible to me, and RAW helping me with whatever I needed. I remember Jason's dad holding my hand as they put my PICC line in (NO FUN), and Jason's mom making sure that Bekah was taken care of. I remember Jason holding my hand and taking such good care of me. I remember JPG (aka BG) helping me walk down the hall the first time, and making me laugh, even though I hurt so bad. I remember my mom by my side at every possible moment, and Bekah wanting nothing more than to be with me. It was a tough time for us all.

Anyway, the surgery was mainly successful. I did struggle with a pretty major infection and sported a beautiful PICC line for almost 10 weeks. It took me a long time to get back to "normal" but I eventually got there, only to learn that I required another surgery! OUCH! (Sorry, you'll have to wait until October for a recap of that one!)

The man in the picture is my neck surgeon! As my friend RAW says, "Dr. Riew rocks, but God rocks stronger and louder!" Dr. Riew is an amazing surgeon and an amazing man. He is world-renowned. People literally come from all over the world for him to fix their cervical spine problems. He is not too quick to cut anyone open, and he won't try to help someone that he doesn't believe that he can help. He is a humble, gentle, and kind man. He admits that his skills are a gift from God, and gives Him glory for the work that he does.

I am probably boring you all. Sorry. I am so thankful for the surgery that I had a year ago today. My life has been blessed because of it. (Even though it hurt REALLY badly!)

Willie and Judy

If you know me well at all, you have heard me talk about our good friends, Willie and Judy. We have been friends with them for quite a while now, and we feel blessed to know them. They are great mentors to Jason and me, and we have learned a lot about life and marriage from them. We are better people because of their influence.

We have had a lot of pretty deep conversations over the years, and I am very often reminded of some of the lessons that I have learned from them. One of the most important lessons is this: “It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, it only matters that you do what you believe to be right.” There is a lot of wisdom in that lesson, and sometimes I have a hard time remembering it. But, luckily, Willie gently reminds me when I need to be reminded! Thanks Willie.

Another important lesson that we have learned from Willie goes something like this, “If you keep on doin’ what cha always done, you’re gonna keep on getting’ what cha always got.” Now, Willie never proclaimed to be a Grammar scholar, so give him a break. But once again, he reminds me often that if I want a different result in my life, I have to do something different. Change is hard, but necessary, and for any situation to change, we all have to be willing to do something differently. Another great lesson!

Willie and Judy have taught me the importance of kindness, even when others aren’t kind. They have taught me to be prayerful even when it is hard. They have taught me that life needs to be lived in a way that brings glory and honor to God, no matter what is happening around me.

So, today, I’d like to introduce you to our two good friends: Willie and Judy. They are great friends, mentors, and we are blessed to have them in our life. We love you both and appreciate your friendship.

Congrats!

Congratulations to my good friends (and fellow
small group members), Eric and Courtney, who
recently have become engaged! They are
planning a summer wedding in Atlanta.

As if that wasn't exciting enough, Dr. Courtney also has signed a contract to work in an OBGYN office in Atlanta after she finishes her residency here in St. Louis.

We will miss having them around, but wish them all the best in their upcoming marriage, and in their new professional positions!

Top Ten

Top Ten Reasons I Can’t Blog today:

10. I have no opinion worth sharing
9. I have no words of encouragement to offer
8. The things I want to talk about shouldn’t be shared on a blog
7. I’m too tired
6. I need to iron, cook supper, and clean the bathroom
5. I am crabby
4. I don’t have a good picture to share
3. I am distracted by things I can’t share here
2. I’d rather watch a movie with my family

And the number one reason I can’t blog today…

1. I have nothing important to say.

Impossible

It is impossible to put out a fire with an empty bucket. There is no way around that. It is impossible.

Everyday, each of us is faced with many fires that we must attend to. Some are little; some are big. Sometimes they start out small and grow into huge forest fires. For most of us, the fires are usually easily managed, because they are fires that we are well equipped to handle. For example, we know how to deal with poor drivers on the road, children who seem to talk non-stop and when there isn’t quite enough cash to buy what we really would like to have. These fires aren’t too difficult to deal with. We use some of the water in our buckets, we adapt, and we move on.

Sometimes the fires in our lives get WAY out of control, and we do everything that we know to do to put it out, but sometimes we just don’t have what it takes for the flames to diminish. Once we exhaust all of our options, we feel helpless because our bucket is empty in spite of the fact that flames are still raging around us. We ask ourselves, “Now what am I supposed to do?” The answer to this question goes back to my original statement, “It is impossible to put out a fire with an empty bucket.”

In recent days, I have been forced to address this issue in my own life. My bucket is empty, and I am still trying to put out fires, knowing full well that I am not equipped to handle this particular fire, and as a result, I am going to get burned. So, my focus must change. My focus has to change from how to fight the fire, to how to get my bucket refilled.

I learned a long time ago that seeking God is the only way to get what we really need. So, all I really know to do is to seek God’s wisdom and grace. I have been reminded that God is the only way to get my bucket refilled. I need to talk to Him about it. I need to surround myself with His people. I need to dive into His Word. I need to be quiet and still. I need to have open eyes and be willing to go WHEREVER He leads me. God will lead me to the place that I need to be to get my bucket filled so that I can keep on fighting all the fires in my life…. and I might be quite surprised to find out where that place is. I need to trust Him.

I am thankful for a loving husband and great friends. I am thankful that they have shared a bit of their water with me to help put out the current fire in my life. I am thankful that I never have to fight fires alone because of God’s gift to the world.

You can’t fight fires with an empty bucket…. But God’s love will fill every empty bucket if we seek Him and allow Him to work in our lives.

Still Broken…

I had to get up way too early this morning! I had to be at Barnes Radiology Department at 7 a.m. I am here to tell you that 7 o’clock in the morning is WAY too early to have to be anywhere! But, I have to be at work at 9, so I had to work out my appointments to make sure that I didn’t miss any work. So, I had my X-rays and headed across the hall to see the best neck surgeon in the world. My friends and I had prayed that he would say, “See you in a year- Things look great.” Well, that particular prayer wasn’t quite answered, well at least not like we had hoped that it would be.

I am healing MUCH better than I did the first time. The bones are fusing like they are supposed to, and the bone growth looks good. The piece of bone from my hip looks like it has settled nicely in its new location, and there are no problems with that. There is no evidence of infection, and my SED Rate is right where it needs to be. Praise God. All of these things mean that I am STABLE! Hooray! ………. You can hear it coming though, can’t you? …. Here it comes…. BUT, there is still concern about my blood counts, and there is a concern about one of the screws on the right side…Sigh…. I am so tired of being broken.

I won’t bore you with all of the details; I will just say this: The best-case scenario is a little medication, a little physical therapy, and a lot of prayer. The worst-case scenario is well…I am not even going to say it.

So, I solicit your prayers…again…. still….

I feel fine. In fact I feel great. To God be the glory for all of the healing that He has provided me with, and for all of the healing that He plans to bless me with very, very soon.

Great Friends

I had planned to put a great picture on my blog today, but I have been threatened with bodily harm if I posted it. Since one of my goals in 2006 is to stay out of the hospital, I chose to honor the request. So unfortunately, this picture will have to do. Use your imagination... the 3 of us look just like this...except we don't play soccer, we don't wear hats, none of us have blonde hair, and I can assure you we wouldn't be caught dead in those shirts or knee socks. But other than that, we look just like them. Not really, we actually look NOTHING like this group, except each of us are actually this thin!

Anyway, I can still tell you about two incredible friends. (You know who you are!) Every Wednesday, the 3 of us meet before church for supper at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. I think we all look forward to the mid-week break from work and other responsibilities. We usually eat too much, laugh a lot, and talk about things that we don’t generally share with others. Sometimes I feel like I have known these two ladies forever. It is such a blessing to have friends that you can share ANYTHING with. The three of us have a good time together. Sometimes we talk about trivial things, but sometimes we get pretty deep and talk about things that really matter, like how to change the world and how to solve all of its problems. Of course we are never successful at figuring it all out, but we are pretty good at helping each other see what we can do individually to make the world a better place.

Our group is not exclusive…all are welcome… BUT NO MEN ALLOWED! This is just time for the girls. Just don’t be too offended if we wolf down too many chips and order guacamole AND cheese dip. We don’t hold back on Wednesday nights; we eat what we want and don’t worry too much about it. But, we all order DIET Coke because we don’t want to lose our girlish figures too quickly! (As if that would really help!)

I love you girls! (Even if you won’t let me post your picture!)

Boys Will Be Boys

Here is another pic from our Care Group. These guys are a lot of fun to be with and never fail to make me laugh. They are good leaders, very good eaters, and even better friends. I enjoy being with these fine men; we always have a good time. Each one is a blessing to me and to our family. Left to Right…Eric, Mike, JD, Jason and Dan, with Brandon featured as the crazy focal point! Guys not pictured: Bobby, Randy, & Mike…. and little guys, Mason, Benjamin, and Elliott!

I love you guys!

A Great Group

When I count my blessings, I count this group twice! This is the Care Group that Jason and I go to on Sunday nights. Our group meets weekly, always eats together, and has fantastic singing. We enjoy studying the Bible and lifting our prayers of thanksgiving and requests before God together. Mike and Deanie are great leaders and we are so thankful that they open their home and hearts to us. They truly are special people.

We are blessed to know Mike, Deanie, Gin, JD, Erin, Elliott, Benjamin, Jenny, Randy, Mason, Mike, Sandi, Eric, Courtney, Dan, Bobby, Amy, Brittnie, and Brandon (the one with the tissue hanging out of his nose!), and we are even more blessed to be part of this close knit group with them! In my “humble” opinion, we have great group, we have great cooks, great singing, and a ton of fun! But most importantly, we have a group who wants nothing more than to bring glory and honor to the Father!

Ronnie Norman

Several months ago, McKnight Road invited Ronnie Norman to speak to our congregation. Ronnie is the Senior Minister at First Colony Church of Christ in Sugarland, Texas. I was completely amazed by Ronnie’s message and by his dynamic speaking style. I felt encouraged by him, and challenged in my walk as a member at McKnight Road and as a Christian.

In recent days, God has gently reminded me of Ronnie’s words. In his lesson, Ronnie made reference to the sign that sits in front of our building. He stated that he noticed it when he first saw our building. He said that we had “a lot of nerve” placing the sign out front for all of Ladue to see! I’ll admit, I was a little taken back, and unsure what he was talking about. It wasn’t like we had “bloody sacrifices offered here every Sunday” written on the sign. I continued to listen intently, seeking clarification. Finally, Ronnie got to the point. The sign in front of our building says, “McKnight Road CHURCH OF CHRIST.” Still, I was somewhat confused. As Ronnie continued his lesson, he told us that to claim to be a church of Christ was a bold statement, and should not be taken lightly. He explained that if we are willing to place a sign in front of our building that identifies us as Christ’s Church, then we need to be willing to act in such a way that Christ would act, and/or support.

Lately, I have noticed a lot of “issues” within the "brotherhood" that I can’t say are consistent with who we (as a church) claim to be. While I recognize that we are all human, and sin, as members of Christ’s church, we are called to be different from the rest of the world. We are called to live up to the standard that we have accepted, and advertised to the rest of the world, WE ARE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. When we fail to live up to that standard (which we will), we are called to turn away from our sin and depend on God's grace, mercy, forgiveness and guidance. We are called to be like Jesus.

I often wonder how we ("the brotherhood") are viewed by visitors and those who are seeking Jesus. When visitors walk into our buildings for worship, benevolence help, or counseling, are they embraced with the love of Christ? Do they see us as a united group with a common purpose? Do we welcome the “obvious” sinners into our family and embrace them like Jesus would?

I would say that in some cases the answer is, “No.” In many cases, there are too many power and control issues and too many superiority complexes to be able to see past our own wants, needs, and intentions.

I love McKnight Road with all of my heart and I believe in our eldership, their focus, and their determination (and patience), as we (just like all congregations) struggle through hard issues sometimes. I love worshipping with the family, being part of ministries, and experiencing my journey of faith with most of the people at McKnight. I just think from time to time we all (INCLUDING ME) need to be reminded that claiming to be part of “CHRIST’S CHURCH” is a very strong commitment, and should not be taken lightly.

Thanks to Ronnie Norman again. You have challenged me a great deal and have helped me to progress in my journey.

Bekah!

Our Bekah is quite a character. This picture was taken this afternoon after she came back from an informational meeting about auditioning for a theatre company. She loves the theatre; that is for sure. In fact, she talks about it non-stop. It is fun to listen to her practicing monologues, and singing Broadway tunes. Lately she has been working on her lines for Really Rosie, which is the musical that she is currently in at school. We are glad that she has something that she loves so much to be involved in.

In addition to theatre stuff, she is staying pretty busy with the youth group at church, hanging out with friends, and her studies. She was a little stressed this week, as she had to deal with final exams! YUCK! We are really proud of her; she is a great kid.

Today when we were talking about a brochure she had received in the mail, she said, “Mom, this brochure sure is adjectivistic.” I laughed. Adjectivistic? As far as I know, adjectivistic is not a word. Bekah informed me that she had just made it up and it means “a term to describe a document that contains too many adjectives.” How funny is that! Now, we can add that word to the long list of other words that she has enlightened us with over the years like “confuzzled” and “nauseagetic” and “crazified.” She is so funny, and so fun to be with.

So, between the theatre stuff and her desire to take over the title of “word master” (sorry MAR), she keeps us on our toes!

Thought for Today

James 5:13-16

A great passage and a great reminder for us all.