My Bloopers

 Finally a good one.

 My favorite place to be

Friends For Life

We are friends
I got your back
You got mine,
I'll help you out
Anytime!
To see you hurt
To see you cry
Makes me weep
And wanna die
And if you agree
To never fight
It wouldn't matter
Who's wrong or right
If a broken heart
Needs a mend
I'll be right there
Till the end
If your cheeks are wet
From drops of tears
Don't worry
Let go of your fears
Hand in hand
Love is sent,
We'll be friends
Till the end!!!!
Angelica N. Brissett     

Loving Our Neighbor Is The DNA of Kingdom Living

The sun has one kind of beauty, the moon has another kind, and the stars have another. And each star is different in its beauty 1 Corinthians 15:41. Just like each member of the family of God. Different but beautiful.

Sundays sermon topic. Do not worry about your life.

Hello! Hey Lord in case you haven't noticed I'm scheduled for shoulder surgery today, Rudy my husband still can't use his arm for another 4 weeks, Katie needs my help with the grand children. My young neighbour's going through cancer . Our Church needs a youth pastor...and the list goes on. 

For this reason I say to you , do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink nor for your body, as to what you shall put on Matthew 6:25.

Jesus is not saying.

1. Fix your own clinical anxiety, your own mental health.

2.He is not addressing our "wants" . He is addressing our "needs". Food, drink, clothing.

3.Jesus does not promise that all people will be fed and clothed at all times. 

But here's where it gets interesting He does promise.

Those who pursue the kingdom and His righteousness will always have there basic needs met,

Food, shelter , clothing.

And here's where the exciting part comes in. If we seek to love God with all our heart , soul and mind, we will want to love our neighbour's as ourselves.

We have left our own selfish behaviour behind, our old way of thinking only about our own lives and moved into God country. A country devoted to God and loving and helping others.

We have changed our DNA to kingdom living.

And when we do this our values change. And we can't live our lives without taking care of others.

That's why Jesus can look at His kingdom and say there will be no needy person among you. Don't be anxious about anything, referring to basic need food, shelter, clothing. 

Seek first the right way of living, our relationship with God, and generosity will happen. 

Listen to that small inner voice that tells you to help someone who is hurting. Provide a meal, offer to babysit, lend a listening ear, hug someone, offer to pay for something. Be part of Gods kingdom, and be the lifeline that meets someones needs.

What will I be known for now and after I'm gone ?

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them. Augustine.

Grace

 Jesus didn't have to extend His love. He didn't have to die on the cross. He didn't have to rewrite my story. He bought me the day He died. He overcame my fear of death in that unbelievable moment in His Resurrection. And in that stunning grace is peace.It is the greatest story ever told.

Grace ; it's all grace. His story not mine.

I bring Him my life, my sorrow , my brokenness. He accepts it, embraces me and loves me.

His love saw my heart, and said She is mine. She is my daughter. I have something wonderful for Margret.

Grace is the sweet moment you never expect but turns up to get you through a day. Kara Tippetts

1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
   Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
   Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
   There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
   
   • Refrain:
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that is greater than all our sin!
2. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
   Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
   Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
   Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
   What can we do to wash it away?
   Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
   Brighter than snow you may be today.
4. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
   Freely bestowed on all who believe!
   You that are longing to see His face,
   Will you this moment His grace receive?

Thankful this Easter morning for His grace.

Beautiful Things

Kathe -My Mom March 28, 1932-November 1, 1973

"Beautiful Things"

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

GUNGOR LYRICS

The other day someone mentioned only seeing a picture perfect envious life portrayed on facebook. And I said people don't want to see hurt, messy lives, and many don't want to know what really sits inside the heart of a grown up woman who still at times thinks as a child. Most people like to think life's okay and thinking only positive thoughts are whats going to get us through life. I beg to differ. If I can't go through pain in life and share about it I can never get to the beautiful side. I love deeply, enjoy life with abandonment, but I also grieve very deeply. It's how I'm wired. I don't just remember my loved ones only when its there birthday - its just that seems the time the world lets me share my thoughts. So at this time in my life I've pulled up chair around the banquet table of Gods love and my feast is my memories. Some good , some bad. And every memory met with tears, some regret, some sorrow, some joy, Its my life unique to only me. And I talk to God who's invited me to His table of grace. And I still wait for more beautiful things of this life.

 

The Elephant In The Room -Part Two

Dealing with Mental Illness.

A series that our Church NLCC is walking through.Yesterdays topic; Put On Love.

Colossians 3:12-14, have a read it's so relevant to the topic.

1. Stigma- we see mental illness as a mark of shame.
"It's amazing to me that any other organ in your body can break down and there's no shame and stigma to it," Warren told the congregation. "But if your brain breaks down, you're supposed to keep it a secret…. If your brain doesn't work right, why should you be ashamed of that?"Rick Warren

2. Simple Answers. We are looking for a quick full time fix. So we give our opinions as if the person dealing with mental illness has not tried every approach to get well. Mental illness is not a casserole illness -we support and rally around people in hospital or other sickness- but draw the line at mental illness.

3. Spiritual Lies. Almost 50% of Evangelical Christians believe prayer and Bible Study alone will heal mental illness .Ed Stetzer. It's simply not true. When we spiritualize mental illness we blame sick people for their illness. Amy Simpson



Our hope is rooted in our knowledge that something much better is on its way. For no matter how deep the darkness, how painful life can be in this decaying world, as children of God we can always look forward to the day when “our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength” (1 Cor 15:43). - See more at: http://amysimpsononline.com/2013/05/a-conversation-about-mental-health-and-faith/#sthash.2ZGp5xN1.dpuf

How do we put on Love to those dealing with mental illness? Love by listening.

So simple, so profound.

We don't have answers but we all have ears to listen and hearts to exercise compassion.

PUT ON LOVE_-LOVE BY LISTENING .

The Elephant In the Room (Church)

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice ,and everything nice

Robert Southey.

As a little girl and later having a daughter of my own. Those were my thoughts. Little girl dreams , big girl possibilities. But what happens when mental illness joins this picture? My childhood was full of big elephants in our home. Sugar and spice was over shadowed with sickness and unpredictability.

So while the world we live in is very beautiful-it is often overshadowed by mental illness. The white elephant in the room,  Mental Illness ,last Sundays church topic.

Our guest speaker Rod Wilson. President and professor of counselling and psychology at Regent College in Vancouver. He not only had some very good advice for the Church but shared from life experience.

2 Corinthians 1:6-9 . Summarised- when I am in pain and go through painful situations it allows me to help others. Pain is a reminder that I cannot rely on myself. I am overwhelmed can't do it on my own. I need God , I need others to help me through life.

Mental illness is a very big part of my life. A very painful part.My mother went through severe mental illness, I too struggle and have had deep bouts of depression and I'm dealing with depression with my daughter.

And one thing I'm learning in my journey is it's a long dark road. And too often I've been guilty of this too -I just want to fix things and make it go away. Nobody likes dealing with mental illness, and just about everybody has a solution for it. One thing that really spoke to me Sunday morning was-the best and proper way to help someone with mental illness -is to acknowledge  their pain . Not offer your answers to their questions, not fix it with theories . But offer comfort-plain and simple. And Rod Wilson offered a very simple illustration to remember this. Think back to when your child was young  and had an extremely bad fall on hard pavement, and they were crying at the top of their lungs and bleeding from their knees. What would be the right response to have to this situation? Get down on your knees, offer comfort and a hug. That simple. Get down on your knees ,offer comfort and a hug. That's how we as Christians and a Church should handle mental illness. A tough topic. Check it out at NLCC .