Just a Wee Spec of something....Mcrowd 3.11.07

Dark

that is the way it was when my alarm when off this morning.

because the time had changed overnight.

Adding an hour of darkness to our mornings and subtracting an hour of darkness from our early evenings.


Milestone Central

We had a small, intimate crowd today -- which was great. As i am one to like the occasional small, intimate crowd. We broke into smaller groups and shared a point in time that we "had felt God's presence."

The lovely Rebecca Gill and i shared a moment... as did all the gathered with their pairings.

John Miles, our teacher for the day, then suggested that is all we really need to do to witness. Just share God's reality in our lives with others.

We got into big circle again -- then got into small groups again. Talking and Sharing. Sharing and Talking.

Then we got in our circle one last time. At this point, am sure John was giving some great meaningful recap because i was vaguely aware of heads nodding, etc.

But i have confession. I was transfixed by another. Totally and completely transfixed. i could not take my eyes off this tiny spec in the carpet.

i tried to focus on other things, but my eye was drawn over and over to this tiny spec of green glitter in that very uniform (nice, functional) industrial carpet of our very cavernous classroom.

The light was hitting it perfectly.

It shone like the most beautiful, sparkling bobble. i so wanted to run and pick it up. i just had to stare at it.

It was a compulsion really. It was the most beautiful light -- of all else in that huge room -- my eye was drawn to it. A spec of green glitter.

okay -- that is really weird.

But then it hit me. That's what a true witness for God does.

If we let go of all our stuff, when we can truly feel loved, forgiven, humbled and empty of self -- all we do is shine and reflect His light and glory. It's effortless.

People are drawn to it. The light from us. Compelled to stare at it. Want to run and pick it up.

That little spec of glitter was a nothing. As most of what i attempt to do in my strength, might and pride. But when the glitter perfectly reflected light -- it became as a tiny super nova.

It is dark out there.

Just as this morning was and (no slight intended) our very industrial, functional classroom carpet.

We are to be the reflections. The glitter. Not trying in our might, but just being who we are, placed right where He wants us, sitting and basking in His perfect light.

I loved that little spec.

Thanks johnny. i love you too. My little green spec of sorts.

Prayer Requests and Announcements

i am so sorry -- i just realized i left my sheet of note paper in our classroom. as much as i would like to steal back and see if my little spec of glitter is there, alas i can not. It is almost lunch time and the children are starting to rumble.

So here goes from memory..

The Massey's neighbor came through her breast cancer surgery last week with the very encouraging news that the cancer was not in her lymph nodes. She will still have to have chemotherapy. Please continue to pray for her complete healing.

Please keep Mark Rolling in your prayers as he did have part of a leg amputated resulting from his ongoing challenges living with diabetes. Please pray for strength and comfort at this time.

A little bird just flew in (and there he is -- we had nice little chat as he was perched on my computer screen)and Mr. Robin told me that Chanin presented the Church with our Cookbook earnings/Building Fund offering at 11 a.m. service.
$4000.00!!

Thanks so much to our very hardworking cookbook committee.
Stephanie Dickson, Margaret Ligon, Laree Zant, Shelagh Reitman, Kristie Gasque and Shelly Massey. (Please let me know if i forgot anyone)

Dena Lewis is recovering from her surgery. Take it easy please, Dena.

Saltwater Bob is in transit back to Madison as we speak. Please keep him in prayers.

Please keep Jean Ann Wacker in your prayers in her breast cancer recovery as well.

Love and safe journeys to all Mstones breaking far and wide from our dear Mad this week.

God Bless, Good Week --

and Go step outside and smell Spring.

it's so trying to spring it's little self forth.

"Do you swear to tell the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth?" Mstonehenge 3.4.07

Milestone Class ...3.4.07

Witnessing.

What does the term witnessing mean?

What images are flashing through your mind?
Am sure lots of different things. Many, Many different things.

Each one of us has a mental concept of the word witnessing made up of everything we have experienced in life up to this point. The good and the bad.

Did we attend church growing up? Who our parents were? Where we were raised? Our God given personalities? Events -- traumatic and wonderful all make up what we think of the act of witnessing.

Refresher... Matthew 28: 18-20. The Great Commission.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations." v. 19

John Miles opened class with this quote.

"Oh, the unmitigated curse of controversy? Eschew controversy as you would eschew the entrance to hell itself! Let them have their own way. Let them talk, let them write, let them correct you, let them traduce you. Let them judge and condemn you, let them slay you. Rather let the truth of God itself suffer than that love suffer. You have not enough of the Divine nature in you to be a controversialist." Alexander Whyte.

Seems that we had great small group discussion on this point. And tried to have some discussion in class.

Think John is going to open up with this notion again.

The point was raised that isn't it the more loving thing to do for an individual to defend The Truth/God's Truth to their contrary arguments? So that there is no misinterpretation on their part.

And if we love God and would do anything for Him -- how can we let anyone make fun of, make sacrilege, or bitterly refute His existence?

Some folks like to argue. And there is nothing more they look forward to than to put Christian folk in their place.

To challenge them, to show them that their faith, their God and their bible is nothing more than a fairy tale weakly Christians want to be true because they can't deal with
reality.

Yes, angry, argumentative folks.

Guess there are nonbelievers and Believers who are angry, argumentative folks.

And as i am now quite aged, i have observed few thing about our human condition.

Usually the angrier and more vehement a person is -- the more they are desperately hurting. Something or someone has irreparably seared their soul. And some of those hurts are buried so deep and so protected that their hearts have been encased by steel forged in bitterness.

What is the key to melting that seemingly impossibly frozen soul? i don't know? Guess we better think.

So what about your witness?

Often the people that are the most unpleasant to be around are probably the ones who most want the fairy tale to be real. They just would never ever admit it -- even to themselves.

But they are watching and taking note. And lots of them are very, very smart. (code: impossible for a simpleton like me to persuade through argument.)

Anywho......

See you next Sunday. John will be back...i think. No, he will be.

Prayer Requests and Announcements

Officers.. Yes, it is that time of year again. Calling all would be officers. We need a few good souls who will step up and lead the Mstone crowd for 2007

President
Mission/Outreach
Curriculum

Treasurer

Social
Sunday Morning refreshments coordinator (okay -- just a suggestion)

Keep Jean Ann Wacker in prayers for breast cancer.

The Massey's neighbor is also battling breast cancer.

Dena Lewis as she recovers from her surgery.

Mark Rolling and his health as keep struggles with diabetes.

Henry Verner passed away last night. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Karen's sister's knee surgery went very well. And the doctors are making progress on her immune system problems that are affecting her joints.

G'day Mates... let's keep the globe trotting Bob Efird in our prayers as he is visiting the land down under. He will be traveling back on Monday.

Chicken BBQ for church 3/18. Hurrah! Buy those tickets. i was wondering when one of these wonderful chicken Sundays would come around again.

God Bless, Good Week and

Go Forth and live your life as a witness for the Truth.