http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/index.html?version=51&startmmdd=0101

1.  Get out of our box and see a different aspect of life. Go visit a nursing home, hospital, women's shelter.

2.  Count your blessings.  Literally, 1,2,3... you would be surprised how many there are.

3.  Ask one meaningful question...How will this choice, decision, move affect eternity?

4.  Go on a Mission trip.  Whether local or international you will see life differently.

This is just a few simple steps to get us up and running...

A - Admit you are a sinner.  Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned", that includes you and me.  We have all sinned and it puts all of us in the same position.  Romans 6:23 tells us that our sin comes with a price.  The "wages" of our sin is death.  What we have earned (deserve) is punishment.

Romans 6:23 finishes by saying "but the gift of God is eternal life." What is the good news? God has offered us a gift.

B - Believe Jesus died for your sins and rose again.  Romans 5:8 says, "that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That's pretty incredible considering my past; that as God looked down at me and saw all that, Christ still died for my sins.  That is GOOD NEWS!

C- Confess to Jesus. What? That you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, put your life into His hands.  Romans 10:9-10 tells us that “if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

As the Easter season is upon us you can't help but notice all of the purple, blue, and yellow stuffed bunnies; the baskets made of every pasley color on the spectrum; the peanut butter eggs, and every other thing that points us straight to Easter; please note my sarcastic tone.  It is sad but true that on the most treasured season of the year for the believer we are all tempted to get caught up in bunnies, candy, and even an extra day off.  I have found this resource which should help keep us focused throughout the month of April as we head to the Easter celebration.

Check it out!  http://www.harvest.org/risen/

The movie was well done and had several familiar actors in it's cast.  The plot flowed through the movie with a unexpected (though I picked up on it) twist to the movie.  The movie seemed very "real life" especially here in middle Georgia where believe it or not there are still racial lines which some dare not cross.  The story of a family repaired, a rebellious son changed, a racist father broken and a church brought together under the banner of GRACE was well worth the watch.

The fact that it had no sexual content, foul language or violence doesn't give me much hope that is will last in the theatres very long so my encouragement would ge, "go see it as soon as possible."

www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1 

By Rick Warren

"Nothing will play a bigger role in what God does through your life in 2011 than how you look at the world around you."                                                                                          

You know the story. As the the children of Israel were getting ready to enter the Promised Land, Moses sent out 12 spies to check it out. Ten of the spies came back and said that conquering the Promised Land would be too tough. Two of the spies looked at the land through eyes of faith and said they could conquer the land with God’s help. But the children of Israel believed the first set of spies and their pessimistic outlook.

God gave them a test, one that they failed miserably. Instead of making it into the Promised Land, they spent years wandering around the desert. As pastors, we don’t want to fail that kind of test. Because these ten leaders chose to look through eyes of fear, they lost an opportunity that God had prepared for them. They delayed their destiny for another 40 years.                       

It can happen to us, too. You’ve probably got a challenge in front of you right now. You know what it is. Maybe it’s a new area of your community that needs to be reached. Maybe it’s a funding crisis. Maybe it’s a team-building challenge. But something is in front of you that’s too big for you.

Nothing will play a bigger role in what God does through your life in 2011 than how you look at the world around you. It’s a matter of perspective.

You have a choice: will you choose to look at your life – and your ministry -- through eyes of faith or eyes of fear?

Look at the situation through eyes of fear and you’ll only see the giants in the land.  Look at the situation through eyes of faith and you’ll see the big God who goes before you.

Which eyes are you looking through?

He is strongest when he is weakest and weakest when he is strong.  Though poor he has the power to make other rich, but when he becomes rich his ability to enrich others vanishes.  He has most after he has given most away and has least when he possesses most.

He may be and often is highest when he feels lowest and most sinless when he is most conscious of sin...."

The article goes on and continues to emphasize the "frustration, confusion and dilemma" each Christian lives in.  There is a natural man inside of us which must be slain so that the God centered man may take over.  It is a daily battle we each must wage in order to "finish well."

This Sunday we begin a series entitled, "Dig".  My desire and I know God's plan for this series is to get us to be honest, dig below the surface and deal with the real issues that are tearing up our homes, business' and even our country. 

The next day I found this article in MyTown Monthly Magazine; Three Minute Relaxation Routine, it goes as follows: Concentrate on relaxing by using a cue word like "peace" or "love." While holding your breath tense up a group of muscles. And finally, as you release your breath relax your muscles.  Not sure if it will work but I will try it at the next basketball game.

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water.
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5.       Make time to pray.
6.       Play more games
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.    Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.    GOD heals everything.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37.    The best is yet to come..
38..    When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Great thoughts as you drive ahead in 2010.

Rick

Our Connection Group was great last night.  So many of us fear so many things that it paralyzes us in life.  I want to encourage you to read and memorize II Timothy 1:7 this week.  And if you are struggling with a "Spirit of Fear," I hope you would ask, "Where does it come from?"

You don't want to miss Sunday!

I am wore slam out, but I am so blessed!  To live in this country, to have religious freedom, healthy family and friends. To be able to read the Bible at Starbuck's (double blessing) without fear of persecution. To be able to worship freely on Sunday with the great people of The Vine.  I am so blessed! My guess is most of us are, we just choose to look at what we don't have instead of what we do.  Maybe the reason the glass is half full is because you spilt it during your own pity party.

Thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever!  

As I write this post I am listening to an old song called "Jesus Freak." Some of you will be familiar with this rocked out, hip hop, grunge story of John the Baptist but the words are what strike me.  I'm not sure if the descriptions given in this song of John the Baptist would be said of me.  My goal through music is to be inspired by words that dare me, challenge me, and push me closer to God not further away.

I believe I can nutshell God's Big Plan this way: To Know God Intimately and Make Him known Publically!