As I Settle in to Life

2:54pm: Learning
I've been listening to Seven 0 Seven worship services recently. Let's reflect on this for a second. There are great pastors/teachers/leaders out there. I truly believe that we all need to belong to part of a local faith community, but let's face it, sometimes our pastors aren't hitting the needs we're having every week with their 20 minute service on Sunday. It's ok, part of the reason for church and attending a worship service is to have communion with other believers and be built up in the faith as well as be held accountable. But sometimes you want something more. You think about some of the great pastors out there, some of the great leaders, some of the great teachers, and for just a bit (even if you really you like your church) you wish you could go to a church lead by one of the "giants" of the faith of our day.

I completely understand. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, and Alistar Begg pastors a church called Parkside in our area. It's a mega church, and my DH and I attended there for a while. Great teaching, great preaching, wonderful church, a truly vibrant faith community. But it's so big it's easy to get lost, it's hard to know everyone. It was a 30 minute drive for us, so it's harder to get out there more than once a week, and the sanctuary was cold (temperature wise). I was never warm, and I like to be warm. So Jeff and I went back to Highland 6th. We have a wonderful pastor, Roger, and his wife is an asset to him in the minstry (I heart Heather). But our worship doesn't have the impact of a mega church. It's not a stadium experience every Sunday. But guess what, through the wonder of modern technology we can listen to the greats, we can hear cutting edge worship music, all we have to do is go out to the internet, click on a link, and there we are. I've been listening to 707 lately. Their mission is to reach the youth/Gen X of Northeast Ohio. It's wonderful, here's the link http://www.sevenoseven.com/media.php. I would encourage everyone to find recordings of worship services, of good preaching, of good teaching. The information is free, and of more importance is worth more than gold. Check out what's out there, what's available. There is a bunch of websites you can check out:
http://www.biblicalpreaching.info/sermons.php
http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Proclaim/Archives.asp
http://www.briscoeministries.com/broadcast_archive.aspx
http://www.saddleback.com/flash/default.htm
http://www.tellingthetruth.org/
And that's just a few. So check out what's out there. We are living in the age of information. Let's make sure the information we have is Biblically based, Godly, and can positively influence the lives of others.

I do not intend for this to take the place of your regular worship service, that is extremely important, but sometimes you want more. Or if you've got some downtime, if you're driving somewhere, if you're doing laundry, if you're cooking in the kitchen, anything, just load one of the sermons. We should surround ourself with the word of God, we should listen to it, we should know it, and we should live it. I ask you, is it more important to listen to Coldplay for the 10th time, or to learn more about God Our Father in Heaven? How are you spending your time? and would God be pleased with what you're listening to? Let's learn more about God together!

9:44pm: We're not in the Bubble anymore...
Hi guys,

I’m not really sure where to start this, but God has really been laying this on my heart.

A few months ago I was asked to teach the Junior High Sunday School class, so like a good little Christian girl I thought I would step up for a few months like they asked me and teach the class. My teachers made a difference in my life, and these kids needed good Bible centric teaching. Well class has been going pretty well. Anytime you can mention that you need to accept Jesus into your heart and believe in Him is great! And my kids are awesome. Well the Youth Group Leader asked me to help chaperon Acquire the Fire (www.acquirethefire.com) and I said sure, no problem. Well we went last night and today and I just got home and God has really been laying this on my heart.

We are failing the youth of America. We as adults are failing these kids. They don’t know the Gospel, they don’t know that there is absolute truth and that there are standards. And they don’t have many people supporting them to know God and to share the Gospel. And really, until I started teaching Sunday School I found it very easy to leave the religious influence of our youth to someone else. I know many of you teach school in some way, I don’t (I plan events for corporate recruiters, which is about as far as teaching kids as you can get) so I found it easy to basically ignore this entire generation, but that’s just wrong. We’re adults now. I know at Grove City we were equipped. Even if you tried not to hear about God you did. You heard the gospel from your teachers, your friends, your RA’s, even the posters all around campus, and it’s very easy to be a Christian when you’re constantly reminded that God is real and He loves you and wants a relationship with you. I know I felt encouraged and had a better relationship with Christ. But that’s over now. We’re out in some manifestation of the “real” world and we don’t have that bubble anymore. But we do have the knowledge we acquired there and we need to use it, we need to sound a battle cry to this generation that is so bombarded with different religions, different paths, the idea that everything is ok, there is no absolute truth that there is an absolute truth, and it is God. I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. We need to be living right with God, and we need to teach these kids how to do the same.

I know I’ve used the word “we” a lot. And maybe I only mean me. I know I need to be going out and ministering to my kids. So if you’re not willing to work with these kids I would ask that you pray for me and pray for my husband Jeff and pray for the kids in my class and at our church. I want to make sure that the world my children grow up in knows that there is an absolute truth and that truth is Jesus Christ. If you are willing to join this fight then please, get involved. And let us know how you’re getting involved. Just because we’ve left our bubble Mid the Pines doesn’t mean that God or our community of believers has abandoned us. We just need to expand our circle. Wouldn’t it be great if we could use this group to encourage one another, not only in our daily lives and keep in touch, but encourage each other in our own walks with God and in our ministry to others?

I know that I often feel inadequate. There are things in my past that I’m ashamed of. It’s hard for me to tell these kids that they should be doing x y and z when I didn’t do them. I know that to be a leader I need to lead, but there are times my example is NOT a road I want these kids following. I also know that the Devil wants me to be ashamed of what I have done and what I believe, to not feel worthy of God, and to feel inadequate to let other people know about the Gospel. That’s just FALSE. Jesus chose me, and he died for me, just as he chose and died for you.

I don’t want my kids growing up thinking porn is ok. I don’t want them living in a world where premarital sex is the norm. I don’t want them thinking that you have to drink or party to fit in with other people. I don’t want them to compromise their values because their friends don’t think they’re cool. These kids struggle with these issues every day, even (especially) the ones who call themselves Christian. My kids need to know that God is real and He loves them, and that they can be chosen, they can be set apart, they can be holy sacrifices that please the Lord. If we don’t help the kids that are making these decisions now in the next two decades when we have teenagers of our own will they even know that right and wrong exist? Or will we forget to fight for Jesus? Will we let our kids think that compromise is OK because we have to be tolerant of other ideas and people? Jesus was NOT tolerant of sin. He wanted everyone to know the truth about Him and His Father. I know I’m doing a poor job of letting others know, and I’m also realizing that now I’m an adult and it’s my job to make sure that people know about Christ. It’s not my Pastor’s job, my Youth Leader’s job, my Parent’s job, or really just anyone else’s job. It’s my responsibility, and I need to take it seriously.

So if God is laying it on your heart to get involved with these kids please do so. If not, please pray for me and for the youth of my church, and hold me accountable to doing this for them and for this entire generation. They need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
Erin

9:10pm: preparation and what to do with the knowledge people tried to impart
So Suzanne's been complaining that I haven't been keeping the blog, she's write. I enjoy writing immensely. I lived 2 hours away from my boyfriend while I was in college. I'm an expert letter writer. Although I look at those letters now and wonder who that person was and why she couldn't enjoy herself where she was. But that's ok. I'm married now so no reason to be too introspecitve about that today at any rate.

so since writing about the marriage is pretty much off limits (it's going just fine, marriage is hard work, be sure you're ready, move into a house that doesn't need to be gutted, etc.) and really, no one needs to hear me complain about my husband, my job (I like the husband a lot more than the job), or the fact that I need to loose 25+ lbs (elliptical machine will arrive this week, just in time to loose the weight before we decide to try to have a baby at which point I'll gain the weight back) we get to talk about something else that interests me.

God!

I get to teach Jr. High Sunday School. It's been an amazing experience. It's taught me that I need to be an adult, that I need to take responsibility for the spiritual guidance of our kids. Our CE director isn't doing it. Our Pastor is new. Our parents don't even know what they don't know. so it's up to me. Let's let this blog be an encouragement, an encouragement to me, an encouragement to those in the minsitry, an encouragement to the kids to whom we want to minister. I'll post the letter I sent to the Grovers and let's get started fighting the battle to win this generation.

10:00am: finally posting
it's Say Anything Monday on the Knot, so I'm posting my SAM's.

1. I'm so excited, we got new furniture this weekend. We went to Kronheims (not recommended) and have been going for 5 weeks in a row trying to get this particular set, but not wanting to pay that much. In the end they came down almost 2K, and we got an extra ottoman. This also means the two ugly couches are going on the curb. Oh, and we have nice new furniture. I'm so excited. Our first big purchase for the house.

2. I decided to start quilting and got a vintage sewing machine off of eBay, it's wonderful, runs like a top, and it was cheap. So excited.

3. I finished piecing my first quilt top this weekend. Now I just need to start to quilt it.

4. Driving to Iowa this weekend with my parents and leaving DH at home. This is the first time we've been apart since we got married. I wonder how I'll feel sleeping without him. Going for Grandma's 85th birthday. Go Grandma!!! Planning on quilting in the car, so hopefully that will go well.

5. I'm going to CA in June, and I'm really excited.