Who Loves Autumn?

I do! It's my fave season. Here's a few things we've been doing lately. The kids LOVED the hayride and bonfire a few weeks ago. Josh even got to drive the GINORMOUS John Deere tractor. We picked pumpkins in a field and took them home to carve. The kids dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and Bumblebee the Transformer. Marty took me to a Monday night football game in Maryland. Too bad the Redskins got crushed! Our church hosted a bell choir concert with 1k bells! Our friend Troy helped us get our Pinewood Derby cars ready for NOV 14's big race. Barkley had anethesia to get his tiny sharp teeth cleaned. And Jackie and I went on a spiritual advance [a.k.a retreat] to a very quiet place with rowdy nuns and geese.

Still coming is another fall wedding, a film crew from a Japanese TV station filming life in America from one of our church member's point of view, and our church retreat December 11-13. Should be good! What have you been doing? Who else loves autumn?

Why Don't You Unplug Too?

According to Dr. Monica Reed in her book Creation Health, your heart will beat 2.5 billion times and will pump more than 1 million barrels of blood throughout your body. It is important to note that between each powerful beat of your heart, it rests. This resting period allows the heart to “unplug” or “reload” to do the work of the next beat.

Likewise, you and I need to “unplug” or “reload.” We need rest. Science, however, wasn’t the first to discover the need for a cycle of rest. In fact, rest is part of the plan that our Creator gave to us at the very beginning. The book of Genesis tells how God provided for this rest. After creating every living thing including man and woman, Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Then Genesis 2:1-2 adds these words, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”

Was God tired? No! He was setting an example for us! He was building a rhythm of rest into our weekly cycle. Why? Because God knew we would need it! Families are falling apart. People are working too much for too long. Even care providers and health care workers who know our bodies need to rest are guilty of over working themselves. That’s a few reasons why once a week on Saturdays, my family unplugs for 24 hours. Literally. We turn the cell phones off and unplug the TV. We worship. We laugh. We play. We rest. Why don’t you unplug too?

Did God Stop Speaking?

God didn’t stop speaking. We stopped listening. So start listening. Prayer is not primarily about lists and requests. It's about keeping company with God. Last week, Jackie and the kids [with a friend] and I did this by going Geocaching. Have you guys ever heard of that? I hadn’t until last week. But Jackie had. And we all really enjoyed it. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences with each other and if you want online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment [click pics for more info]. There are 927,257 active geocaches around the world and after typing some coordinates in our GPS, we found two more hidden at Wildwood Metro Park. We found a fox den, lots of leaves, and had a couple hours of fun. With eachother and with God PTL!!!

Can Christmas Change the World?

Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, and Greg Holder are right. In their book Advent Conspiracy [click pic for more info] they say, "Many American Christians have decided they can, to put it bluntly, love both God and money." Proof of this can be seen every Christmas. When we spend $450 billion/year each year. That's about $900/family. But what would happen if Christians proactively decided to spend less and give more presence this year? We could start by giving our children or grandchildren no more than three presents. Total. Since that's how many Jesus received at his birth. Or if that's too radical, consider drawing names or giving one less gift than last year. The time and money we save could be poured into local non-profit organizations like Haven of Hope or Serenity Farm.

Talking about giving, CS Lewis said it this way: "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them" [Mere Christianity, p.86].

Christmas changed the world the day Jesus was born in a cold, dark stable; Christmas can change the world again!!! Please come learn how starting November 21 @ 7pm for Film Fest where we'll be watching and discussing "What Would Jesus Buy?" This hilarious but thought provoking look at Christmas will jump start our new "Can Christmas Change the World" series starting on November 28.

Mini Mike and Jackie?

It was picture day at school this week. Lydia is in 2nd grade. Joshua is in 4th grade this year. Any grammas or grampas wanna order a pic of [not so] mini Mike or Jackie?

Film Fest #3?

The 3rd offering in our Fall Film Fest powerfully illustrates how hard it is for many to receive grace, but how we can!!! Come for worship this Saturday night, October 17 2009, @ 5pm and the film @ 7pm which includes free snacks, hot drinks, and simultaneous children's videos in another room. Bring a friend to talk about these questions for reflection:

• How does this film portray the power of redemption as described in Galatians 3:10–14 and 1 Peter 1:13–21?
• What role does justice play in this story [cf.Deuteronomy 6:1–9]?
• How does grace make a difference [cf.Ephesians 2:1–10; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8]?
• Which character struggled the most to receive grace? Why?

Father Forgive Them?

Old people are awesome. They’re not afraid of dying and they stopped caring what people think of them years ago like the grandma in this video clip. How many of you would be willing to forgive and pray for somebody robbing you? I’m not sure I would! Imagine the impact that a unified body of believers could make, regardless of age, if all of us actually prayed with unbelievers. Click the pic above for more details on how the Holy Spirit can help us navigate our lives and the triangular play button below to watch the video. Enjoy!!!

Is Ecstasy Fueled By Doing?

For many Christians, intentions and purity of heart rather than “doing religion” have been considered the truest expression of religious experience. But it is interesting to hear the Bible speak of the ecstasy of religious experience, not only in terms of our passionate feelings we find described in the Bible’s Song of Songs, but also in terms of doing. In Exodus 24:7, Moses records the devotion of God’s people expressing their path to knowing God: “We shall do, then we shall understand.” [my paraphrase].

In his psalms, David calls the law of God “most precious gold” and “sweet like honey, like honey from the comb,” comparing it to the most valuable element known to humankind and the best sweetener of life known to people of his time [see Psalm 19]. A number of times people came to Jesus seeking to find understanding, devotion and relationship with God—inner aspects of faith—and Jesus would say over and over again, “Go and do...”

So why were Job, Moses, David and Jesus, along with the apostles Paul, John and James, so in love with doing? Because law—or right actions—is the way love works. And love is the way the universe is structured. It is doing laundry, cleaning the house, washing dishes, and squeezing that tube of toothpaste the “right” way that lead us to experiences of greater intimacy. And it's the same way with God. Ecstasy is fueled by doing. You disagree?

Adapted from "The Ecstasy of Doing" by Samir Selmanovic. Click pic to read post in its entirety.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers?

If you don’t understand anybody else, can you have a real conversation with them? Dan Merchant says you can't. That's why the Emmy-award-winning filmmaker donned a white jumpsuit plastered with religious and anti-religious bumper stickers all over it, and traveled across America, interviewing prominent and not-so-prominent Americans about Christianity. The result is a very entertaining yet extremely thought provoking documentary entitled Lord, Save Us From Your Followers [click pic for more info]. Click the triangular play button below to sneak a preview.

A Torrent of Change?

According to Wikepedia, Gilbert Keith Chesterton [29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936] was one of the most influential English writers of the 20th century. He is well known for his reasoned apologetics and even those who disagree with him have recognized the universal appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Listen to his take on conservatism in the church:

"Conservatism is based on the idea that if you leave things alone, you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone, you leave it to a torrent of changes. If you leave a white post alone, it will soon be a black post. If you particularly want it to be white, you must be always painting it again. Briefly, if you want the old white post, you must have a new white post."

I was reminded of that quote when I saw this vid recently describing the incredible torrent of change surrounding all of us. Perhaps you can use this quote or vid to suggest to someone else that whether you're Christian or not, change is not an option. The question is not if, but how. And when.

Shouldn't Prayer Have Options?

Questions don’t disappear after we become Christian. Often they multiply. So when they do, isn’t it encouraging to know that our prayer options also multiply?

Here are six ways we're experimenting with and expanding our participation with prayer at Toledo First on Wednesdays from 10am to 9pm. Just follow the directions at each prayer activity table.

1. Forgiveness: Write something you want to bring to God on a piece of paper with a felt pen and put it in a bowl of water. Watch it wash away.
2. Scripture Prayer: Meditate on a written and provided Biblical passage and pray it into your life.
3. Adoration: Contemplate how God has revealed himself through various provided props and staged objects. Adore his revelation.
4. Write a Prayer: Select and recopy a written prayer from the handful provided that expresses your heart [or write your own]. Carry it with you throughout the day, put it on you dashboard, mirror, etc.
5. God Speaks to You: Ask God if there's anything he wants to say to you. Begin, on paper, with your name, [i.e. Dear Mike, ...] and then write whatever comes to your mind, as if God were writing to you. Henri Nouwn published a book of these types of prayers, too, emphasizing that prayer is a dialogue and not just a monologue.
6. Bring it to Jesus: Write or draw something that represents a personal concern, burden, or intercession. Place it in the provided heart-shaped bowl, representing the heart of Jesus.

Here's the fine print:

• You do not have to be a member of Toledo First to participate.
• You don't have to bring anything with you.
• You don’t have to be an accomplished "pray-er" to participate.
• You don’t have to pray out loud.
• You don’t even need to know what to pray for because Romans 8:26 reminds us “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Outreach In The Airport?

By some definitions, Chester Cook has the largest church in the country. As the full-time chaplain of Atlanta's international airport, his flock includes a quarter of a million travelers who pass through each day. But it's not just distressed travelers he [and 40 other chaplains] serves, there are also tens of thousands of flight attendants, baggage handlers, cashiers and soldiers coming and going from tours of duty overseas. Wouldn't it be cool if every Christian took on the role of airport chaplain when we travel?

You have GOT to read this article about a guy who treats the airport as his very special mission field. Click the pic to read the article "He'll Help You Find Your Flight, And God" in it's entirety. Photo and article courtesy: Barbara Bradley Hagerty/NPR.

Cash For Tech?

Did you know you can trade-in your used cellphones, laptops, digital cameras, camcorders, mp3 players, video games and systems, GPS devices and all kinds of other electronics and receive Costco cash gift cards in return? PC Magazine voted Gazelle's electronics trade-in website one of the top websites in 2008 for its innovative solution to recycling. How does it work?

1. Click pic to visit the trade-in website.
2. Find the value of the items you would like to trade-in.
3. Ship the items to Gazelle for free.
4. Once your items are evaluated, receive a Costco Cash Card within 10 days.

Gazelle does not yet accept faxes, printers, and TVs but is committed to providing an easy, fast, and safe way for consumers to get rewarded for responsibly recycling more than 15 other kinds of electronics. For items with hard drives, Gazelle utilizes Department of Defense approved software to erase personal data and reset items to factory settings. Want some cash for all that tech?

Does Inreach Affect Outreach?

We at Toledo First believe inreach affects outreach. We spent a week this summer fasting and praying about it [BIG thanks and WTG to those of you who joined us!!!]. In preparation for sharing in church last week what we heard God saying through His word, quiet time, and your responses [click pic to read in its entirety] , Pastor Rachel and I were pleasantly surprised to find other organizations have come to the same conclusion. Such as Texas Roadhouse. Much to the chagrin of financial experts. Click the triangular play button below [scroll WAY below if you're browsing with FireFox] to see what I mean!!!