Pie- part 2

HAPPY
Loved
OVERWHELMED
DANCING
Knowing
LAUGHING
Receiving
JOYFUL
understanding
Grateful
Celebrating
BELIEVING


These are some of the emotions I have had over this weekend. These emotions always come with tears- happy tears, and with wonder. "Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; when times are bad consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his own future." Eccles. 7:13-14
It has been one of those weeks where I wanted the crooked things to be straight, and I fought (thankfully mostly God) because they are not. I do not understand, I cannot say I like it, but God is good, VERY GOOD!

And Celebrating God's Faithfulness-

This weekend our church Sierra Vista Presbyterian, celebrated "21-derful years." We had a dinner Friday evening, and all those who began, or were charter members of the church were invited (My hubby is a charter member). Former pastors and staff were invited. This was a wonderful time to celebrate those who had a vision-who began the church from a bible study,then bought an old farm house with property and worshiped in a remodeled garage, later built a small church, and again in 1995 built and moved into a larger sanctuary, which we have outgrown. This was a wonderful time to celebrate those who had visions of ministry, and of glorifying God, and who so many times have stepped out in faith.

Saturday evening we had a Harvest Celebration (I coordinated this event). Nearly 300 joined in on the fun which included a Chili cook off, Pie contest, face painting, Bow-Tie the Clown, a caller and square dancing. I cannot tell you how I LOVE to CELEBRATE! How I love to see the body, young and old together- dancing, laughing, loving , fellowshipping, enjoying . I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! Tastes like heaven.



And when it was done I had pie :-

And Today, Dr. Rev. Bill Welch who was pastor at SVPC for 18yrs gave the message. In many ways God used Bill to raise the church to adulthood. Today it was beautiful to have him at our 21st birthday to give each of us a blessing with his message "Who You Really Are."
From Matt 5, "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world."
Jesus is talking to the disciples, the church, the Christian community. He is stating a fact, giving a compliment- You are the salt of the earth. He isn't saying you should be, ought to be, will be, but YOU ARE. Salt does not exit for itself. No one says, "mmmm, that's good salt"
We aren't to be salt piles, or to stay in the salt shaker, salt (disciples) exists for the world.
Jesus said "You are the light of the world," the witness of the church is visual, and God gets the glory.
At one point we were asked to close our eyes and picture ourselves at a dinner, with our favorite people, you've never felt so alive, and Jesus is there. Dinner is over and Jesus leads you off, arm around you, smile on his face, and says, "you know how I love you, I'm proud of you, your representing me well, keep it up! I'm in you remaking you, it's my power working in you. Things are different because you are at the table... Be generous with your life, when you're generous people will see me, and my Father will be glorified." (tears)

Father God thank you for reminding me who I really am, I forgot again, help me to be who I really am, to be the salt and light I am. I need YOUR power to be at work in me, I see that it is, sometimes that hurts, it doesn't look as I think it should, I want to straighten out all that seems so crooked. How I wish life were lived in hindsight, thank you for your crooked ways, they make me know you, love you more..I want that. Help me to be generous with my life, to give myself up for you, which is scary. Thank you for giving your whole self up for me. I want to spill you. I want you to be glorified, I want you to have the BIG glory. I love you (tears), I love you.


As 21 year olds, we at SVPC have new vision for the church, "To be a Christian community that exist for the greater community." We are stepping out on faith, we want to be "about our Father's business," and have great expectations for how God will grow and move us.

BTW-Journal entry from 1994 (age 20), "I have been going to Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church. I work with the youth group there. It is a nice church, but it will never be my home."
Ha, God must have laughed!