venice church

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

June Is Cranking



Welcome to one of the truly crazy weeks during the year.
School is getting out.
Graduations are happening.
A big water ski trip is cranking up.
People are getting married.
And people are heading out on vacations.
It is a busy time of year, but it is a time filled with many blessings and accomplishments.
I pray that you are enjoying the events that involve you and your family.


I would ask you to pray for all who are going on the ski trip. I know that
they will have a great time. Pray for safety. Pray for the leaders. Pray
that the hearts of our students would be touched by the teaching and
worship. The camp is going to be fantastic!



And...for those of us not camping this weekend...we will get back to our
series Your Work Matters to God at our One Service @ 10:00 AM on Sunday.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Ten Things I Think


What a great weekend we had. Don & Sheryl Rooks were a huge blessing to our church. Amy and I really enjoyed hanging out with them and getting to know them better.

We have more great guests this Sunday. Dave & Nan Walter, our missionaries to Bangladesh, will be with us in the service. They will tell us about the work that God is doing through them on that field. (Don't forget...one service @ 10:00 AM. The coffee bar opens at 9:15)

Here is s special announcement from Rockstars Childrens Ministry. Vacation Bible School will run from Monday July 9 - Friday July 13 every evening from 6:15 - 8:15. The theme is "Secret Agent: On a Mission For God". This is for kids ages 2 years through fifth grade. You will receive more information at Rockstars this weekend.

And now...Ten Things I Think...
1. I think that our Mayor is setting a very poor example for all Los Angelenos by allowing his marriage to disintegrate. Perhaps he should skip a Chuck E. Cheese Grand Opening from time to time in order to spend more time with his wife. To quote Sheryl Rooks, “HELLO!”

2. I think that Don & Sheryl Rooks really helped some of us this past weekend. Pray for them as they minister to others all across the country.

3. I think that reality TV gets worse and worse all of the time. It boggles the mind that good programming gets canceled and is replaced by another herd of people making fools of themselves on national television.

4. I think that Paris Hilton has shown us that our justice system is pretty messed up. Some people think that she is being treated preferentially because of money and celebrity. Some believe that she is being treated too harshly because of money and celebrity. It just goes to show how differently people in L.A. see things and how confused we are.

5. I think that it would be great if “June gloom” would last right into July and up through, let’s say July 7th. That way it will not be 100 degrees in the worship center for “the wedding”.

6. I think that this year’s Shockwave Student Ministry Ski Trip is going to be phenomenal. There will be a worship band, guest speakers, tons of fun on the lake, a bunch of fun games, and a lot of other teenagers to meet. If you have a teenager I think you ought to do everything that you can to see that they go. By the way, if your child is going into sixth grade they are eligible to go.

7. I think that the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks are going to go right down to the wire this year in the National League West. Let’s pray that the good guys (the Padres) prevail! By the way...did you know that Kevin Chalk’s little brother Brad, an All-American centerfielder for the Clemson University Tigers, was drafted in second round by the Padres last week. Go Little Chalkster!

8. I think that I have been blessed to have a great dad in my life. As he grows older and gets more quirky I just have to laugh, but God has been good to me. Don’t forget to honor your father on Sunday.

9. I think that one of my favorite things about Father’s Day is that it always hosts the final round of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. There is nothing like major championship golf. Who knows Tiger Woods might make the cut this year and be around for Sunday.

10. I think that I have tap water bias. I don’t know how I got to this point. When I was a kid I was happy to drink out of a garden hose. I can’t stand the thought of drinking water out of the tap now. Amy thinks that I am a prima donna. She is probably right. Of course she is right. She is always right.