my psalm

God rests on His holy throne awash with the praise of those who love him.
His heart delights in our singing. His children are home.

Return to the Father if you haven’t already.
Come back to the One who lavished love on you even before you were born.
Remember and come back to his tender embrace.

God stands at the doorway calling His children home.
Join your family choir singing, ‘Beautiful is God high above the heavens.’
Stop where you are and feel your heart reach out in His direction.
Turn the eyes of your spirit toward Him, letting Him fill your lost and broken spaces for He loves and needs even you.

Don’t you remember?
He touched your heart and it began to beat.
He breathed the first breath into your chest.
He kissed your eyes while you slept in your crib and called you blessed.
He holds your hand even now as He keeps the universe in place.
He bends His ear toward you, He listens carefully to me.
He lifts our heads up with joy and courage.

Don’t you remember? Can’t you hear Someone out there calling your name; Something longingly calling you home? God whispers, ‘Draw near, draw near, draw near’ with every breath.
Let your heart reply.

God rests on His holy throne awash with the praise of those who love him.
His heart delights in our singing.
His children have turned their hearts toward home.

Amen

about church

Yesterday I visited with a pastor who is very enthusiastic about what’s happening at his church. We talked a long time about the hard stuff they had recently trudged through, recognizing how God had been in it during and since. He is the second person I’ve talked to lately that has referred to his church primarily as a family. Our church feels like a family to me too – one with some great siblings, first and second cousins and a lot of other distant relatives.

I got to look around this guy’s building and see recent renovations. They’ve created a very new, home-like atmosphere throughout their 70’s style structure but my favorite place is where they created a coffee shop instead of a “social hall”. It even smells like fresh ground coffee. We sat there on couches surrounded by cheerful yellow walls and talked about several different “God sightings” and I didn’t feel like I’d been called to the principal’s office at all.

I loved hearing his story – how he got there and what their hopes and plans for the future are. I appreciated hearing how he addressed some of the same questions our church has been asking recently. I like knowing that across town, there is a vital congregation with some of the same dysfunctions as ours, willing to stick together and raising their roof on Sunday morning.

vote for the worst

I need help. I told the Newberg Friends India Team's fearless leader that I would make sets of 10 to 12 Oregon photo greeting cards to take to India as "host and hostess gifts" and I can't choose which ones I should print. I have narrowed it down to 13 and need help eliminating from 1 to 3 more. PLEASE help me decide which ones to delete from the group so I can move on with my life!

A group of men, women and youth from Newberg Friends Church are going to India late this summer to check out some different ministry opportunities for our church to potentially partner with. Together they will be discerning which, if any, ministry would be a good match with the desires of our hearts and resources. Read more about it here and here.

If you check out the team's website to learn more and recognize any of the team from a Most Wanted poster please let me know. My beautiful daughter is going with them and I'd like to be sure she's in good hands. She is very excited about the trip, going so far as to work two jobs this summer to raise the rest of the money she needs to go. If you would like to support the team financially, you can mail a check to Newberg Friends Church, P.O. Box 487, Newberg, Oregon 97132. Anything that arrives for the team will reduce the amount each individual needs or you can designate it specifically for one of the team members. To give to our daughter, just put "Watson India Trip" in the memo line. Thanks!

Now, vote for the worst...
(Yes, I will print them without the writing. That stuff will go on the back of the card.)