Daily Read September 30, 2009

Isaiah 55:8-9 (New International Version)

⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

PDYM Community lunches here at FVCC...

If you like lunch (I do)...

And if you're a youth worker volunteer, part-time, or full time (I am)...

And you want to connect with other youth workers (I do)...

And you want to go home with some cool stuff (I do)...

Then I might have just the event for you. FVCC will be hosting a PDYM Community lunch on Tuesday, October 27th at 12:30 pm. The purpose of these lunches is to build community among local youth workers and learn from each other. And I'd love to have you come.

Here's the official information on the PDYM Community blog if you are interested. If you would like to come, shoot me an email. There is plenty of room! And FVCC is the only spot in Illinois with a community lunch!!!

Jim

Daily Read September 29, 2009

Psalm 68:19-20 (New International Version)

¹⁹ "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Selah

²⁰ Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death."

Spring Break 2010 Dominican Republic Trip

I'm pumped!!!

Yesterday we had our first 2010 Spring Break Dominican Republic meeting follow 2nd service.

Here's what I'm pumped about. Right now, we have 12 students committed to going!!!!! Last year we had 6 awesome students... but this year 3 of those students have returned and the group has grown! (We have 5 pretty radical adults too!!!)

I'm so stoked to see what God is going to do through them over the next several months as they get ready to go. And how God is going to work in their hearts while they're there!!

It's going to be a great trip March 27th - April 4th. Pray for them. And we are selling fresh pecans as a fundraiser... if you'd like to buy some, I could help you get connected with a student who would love to see you some!!

Jim

Daily Read September 28, 2009

Isaiah 45:22-25 (New International Version)

²² "Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

²³ By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.

²⁴ They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone
are righteousness and strength.' "
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.

²⁵ But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult."

Daily Read September 27, 2009

Ephesians 3:17-20, NIV

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

The end of an era at Fox Valley Christian Church

This weekend will mark the end of an era at Fox Valley Christian Church.

(photo from Steve's facebook page HERE)

For the last 10 years, Steve has lead our congregation into worship. And it has been a great 10 years (I have personally been here for 5 of those years). Steve has a great way of drawing in the congregation and engaging them in worship. It is truly a pleasure to worship under Steve's leadership.

But tomorrow morning will be his final Sunday at FVCC. He is taking on new challenges at Southfield Community Church in Channahon, IL.

We will have one last opportunity to worship with Steve tomorrow. Hope you're there!

While I have appreciated his worship leading, wisdom, leadership and guidance, more than anything I have appreciated his friendship. It's truly a blessing to work with friends. We've been friends both in the office and outside of the office often watching Bears games, Cubs games, Ohio State games, Illinois games and spending a lot of time hanging out outside of the office. I will miss being able to go down the hall... sit on his couch and talk about anything from this weekend's worship set to the Bears or Cubs to the latest updates from Apple. Not that this is the end of a friendship, for sure. But it will certainly be a change.

I hope that if you are at FVCC this Sunday morning, you take a few moments and thank Steve for his hard work, dedication and leadership!

Thanks Steve!

Jim

Feed My Starving Children - All-FVCC Service Project

77 folks from FVCC joined in service today at Feed My Starving Children in Aurora. It was a great experience. If you have never been, it is truly an excellent place to serve. For about an hour, you work together as a team to package up meals to go overseas and feeds folks who are starving.

Each meal pouch contains enough chicken, freeze-dried veggies, soy and rice for six folks. When mixed with heated water, it provides enough nutrition for the day. And it takes, literally, about 60 seconds to put together a meal pouch.

Then they are sealed and placed in boxes, weighted and prepared for shipment.

The organization is non-profit and 95% of their work is done by volunteers (like FVCC). They are extremely professional. They know what you need to do and how to do it. It's a great experience.

Finally, the group gathered together in their warehouse and prayed over the meals.

Altogether, FVCC packed 96 boxes, with 20,736 meals... which is enough to feed 57 kids for a whole year. And we worked about 70 minutes!!! That's awesome!!!

Way to go FVCC!!! and FMSC!!!

Jim

2010 Simply Youth Ministry Conference brochure

2010 Simply Youth Ministry Conference

I can't wait until the SYMC comes to Chicago. I am planning to take my team and it will be awesome to enjoy the conference and still sleep in my own bed!!! Check out the online brochure. It's gonna rock!

Jim

Daily Read September 26, 2009

Ephesians 2:19-20, NIV

"¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. "

Daily Read September 25, 2009

Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV


"⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Daily Read September 24, 2009

Ephesians 2:4-6, NIV

"⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, "

David Crowder Band - Church Music is out today!!!

So many great things happening today...

Zondervan joins Logos...
Fall officially arrives this afternoon...

And David Crowder Band's new anticipated album released on iTunes and other places.

I'm listening to it right now. And I'm liking what I'm hearing. It's a great blend of church hymns and music with the classic touch of the DCB!

If you haven't picked up a copy yet... march yourself right over to iTunes, Amazon or your favorite Christian Bookstore and pick one up for yourself. And then go follow DCB on Twitter!!!

Enjoy!

Jim

Zondervan joins Logos

This is a great day for Logos users.

I had heard last night that there was to be a major Logos announcement at 12 am (Pacific time) last night. There was no way that I was staying up for that. But this morning, I was blown away by the announcement.

Zondervan is going to publish some of it's volumes through Logos. That's great news for Logos users... and if you aren't a Logos user and you study the Bible, you should be. My shelves in my office are lined with Zondervan resources because they put out great commentaries and materials. Now, I'll be able to replace some of those physical books that are difficult to use with digital resources that I can access from anywhere with my computer.

Sweet!!!

Here's a snipet from their story HERE:
"Zondervan has some of the hottest reference material out there—in print and electronic formats. Retiring Pradis doesn't mean they are getting out of the software or e-book business, it means they are simply changing platforms. The announcement to retire Pradis comes in the same press release with the news that they will license Logos Bible Software as their new platform. In our typical book partnerships we license content from publishers to release it ourselves. In this partnership, rather than licensing their books to us, Zondervan is actually licensing technology from us."

This is an exciting day for Logos users. I'm not planning to pick up the initial 87 volume set (unless there's someone out there who wants to pick it up for me...). But I will be replacing some of my commentaries as they become available.

Way to go Logos and Zondervan!!!

Jim

a real life Jon and Kate... but doing it right!

These folks are living by faith in God as they raise their 8 children, two of which are adopted from Ethiopia.

"Home-schooling all eight of their children and surviving on one income, the Muellers have not sought the reality show spotlight that helped pop culture icons Jon and Kate Gosselin raise their brood and eventually broadcast the end of their marriage.
Still, there has been a fair share of drama surrounding the Muellers' adoption of two children from Ethiopia -- a process that started four years ago before anyone could have guessed Pete Mueller would lose his job.
The Muellers could have backed out of the adoption. But they didn't. They believed they were answering God's call in the New Testament to look after orphans in distress."

Check out the story HERE.

Jim

Daily Read September 20, 2009

Psalm 62:5-8 (New International Version)

⁵ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

Daily Read September 19, 2009

Isaiah 29:13 (New International Version)

¹³ The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.

Daily Read September 18, 2009

Isaiah 28:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶ So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

See You At The Pole 2009

See You At the Pole is coming up next Wednesday. Hopefully you are planning to meet at the pole!

Jim

Check it out HERE.

Forgiveness!!!

I heard about this last night. Watch the video for yourself. But as I watch this, I couldn't help but think of God's forgiveness for us. God often gives us something so incredible and we turn around and immediately throw it away. Yet God is like the father in this video... arms open, ready to embrace, forgive, and as it turns out give us back what we threw away... as the little girl later got another ball.

I recognize that this guy isn't perfect but he does give us a good glimpse of God-like love!

Jim

Daily Read September 13, 2009

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV

This passage has to be one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Check it out:

"⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Daily Read September 12, 2009

Isaiah 9:6-7, NIV

"⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this."

Thinking about September 11th...

It's hard to imagine that it's been 8 years since September 11th. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center building, as many who are older than me remember where they were when they heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

I was driving in my truck (1988 GMC Sierra short bed that I would love to have back) east on Interstate 80 in western Pennsylvania on my way to a meeting with some youth pastor friends about our upcoming Fall Retreat. We were meeting in Punxsutawney (the home of all the groundhog craziness around February 2nd).

The four of us went next door to a hotel where they allowed us to watch the coverage in their lobby.

We stood, sat and prayed in disbelief... for what seemed like an eternity. We watched the towers fall. We listened to the coverage of Flight 93 that crashed just a hundreds miles south of where we sat.

We decided to reschedule our meeting as reports began to trickle into our cell phones of schools letting out early for the day. Realizing that we would have upset students, we headed for home.

There were a couple of things about that day that I will never forget:

• the thought of complete disbelief... it was overwhelming.
• the clearness of the blue sky that day.
• the absence of planes in the sky on the drive home.
• how great it was to talk to family and friends and find out that folks were alright... realizing that many would find out that day that "someone" was not alright...
  
• the shock on the faces of folks back home.
• watching the news coverage for hours as brave rescuers tried to save anyone they could.
• being unable to stop watching the news reports.
  
• watching the coverage of those planes flying into those buildings... those images still give me chills.

But today... looking back, I'm thankful for those brave men and women who rushed into those doomed buildings to help people and lost their lives in the process. I'm thankful for those who worked around the clock for weeks to try to give closure to those who's loved ones lost their lives. I'm thankful for our brave men and women (some from our youth ministry) who have served and are serving in the armed forces, protecting our freedoms. Today I remember them.

But more than anything, I'm thankful for my faith in a God who is righteous and just and will, in the end, set everything right.

Jim

Where were you? What do you remember?

Apple's "Get a Mac" ad: "PC Innovation Lab"

I would love to have one of the new MacBook Pro's!!! That long battery life would be awesome!!!

Enjoy!

Jim

Click HERE to watch it!

Daily Read September 11, 2009

Isaiah 9:2, NIV

"² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. "

CIY MOVE 2010 Trailer

Can't wait until this next year!!!

Looks sweet!!!

Jim

Check it out HERE

In Memory of Grandma...

MILDRED MAE CLARK - 1931-2009

CALDWELL -- Mildred Mae Eichhorn Clark, 77, of Middleburg, passed away Saturday morning (Sept. 5, 2009) at her residence.

She was born Nov. 9, 1931, in Middleburg a daughter of the late Harry and Dessie (Luke) Eichhorn.

Mrs. Clark was a member of Middleburg United Methodist Church. She enjoyed quilting, collecting salt and pepper shakers and spending time with her family.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John C. Clark, whom she married on June 15, 1949.

Surviving are three sons, Harry (Teresa) Clark of Middleburg, Mike (Cindy) Clark of Caldwell and John (Zina) Clark of Inman, S.C.; two daughters, Brenda Clark of Caldwell, Sally (Gale) Anderson of Middleburg; 16 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Ethel (George) Braden of Buckeye Lake; and several nieces, nephews and friends.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Chandler Funeral Home, 609 West Street, Caldwell.

The funeral service will be 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Chandler Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Helen Lewis Officiating.

Burial will follow in Ogle's Ridge Cemetery in Middleburg.

(posted from Daily Jeffersonian)

Grandma went to be with Grandpa

This morning, Grandma went to be with Grandpa.

We got the call this morning that Grandma had passed away. She had been struggling for the last couple of days, not having been awake since sometime on Thursday. So, it's been a pretty sad week.

I will post the obituary when it's been published.

Jim

Daily Read September 3, 2009

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV

"¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Daily Read September 2, 2009

2 Corinthians 4:7-10, NIV

" ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

In Memory of Grandpa...

John Clarence Clark

CALDWELL -- John Clarence Clark, 79, of Middleburg, passed away Monday morning (Aug. 31, 2009) at his home.

He was born March 10, 1930, in Noble County, son of the late Earl and Nora Hupp Clark.

Mr. Clark was a member of Middleburg United Methodist Church and Sharon Lodge 136, F&AM. He was a 32nd Degree Mason.

He retired from the Noble County Garage, after many years of service. He enjoyed working with wood and spending time with his family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Ray Clark.

Surviving are his wife, Mildred Eichhorn Clark of the home, whom he married June 15, 1949; three sons, Harry (Teresa) Clark of Middleburg, Mike (Cindy) Clark of Caldwell and John (Zina) Clark of Inman, S.C.; two daughters, Brenda Clark of Caldwell and Sally (Gale) Anderson of Middleburg; 16 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Ethel (George) Braden of Buckeye Lake; and several nieces, nephews and friends.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Chandler Funeral Home, 609 West St., Caldwell, with a Masonic Ritual being conducted at 7:30 p.m.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at the family's residence, 24160 Frostyville Road, Middleburg, with the Rev. Helen Lewis officiating.

Burial will follow in Ogles Ridge Cemetery in Middleburg.

(posted from Daily Jeffersonian)



Jim

Daily Read September 1, 2009

Psalm 42:1, NIV

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God."