Rapture

I recently received this in a forward via email. I just loved it since I have such a passion for the lost and thought that I would share. Hope you enjoy!

Rude People

I hate to admit this but, one thing I have found, immediately since being back here in chicagoland is that people here are very rude and self centered. Mostly I encounter this while I am driving, but also in stores, and sadly even in our church. While driving I am frequently cut off having to slam on my brakes so I don't hit the person, honked at if I don't respond quick enough to a green light/arrow, and edged out of a line by someone who thinks they are more important by needing to be ahead of me at all costs. I have been at the store when an employee had to check a price of an item, while the customer chewed her out telling her that she was wasting his time and why wasn't she competent enough to do her job, to which she explained if she didn't do this she could lose her job. His response was flooring, when he leaned forward, pointing his finger and raising his voice "I don't care about your ******* job, don't talk to me about your job, you are wasting my time and I am the only one that matters here." To which I felt equally demoralized while standing in line next to him. On the employee side I am convinced that customer service does not exist here. When you try to ask someone while checking out how they are doing, they respond "fine" and the conversation is over. I have also found that most of the time they don't know where items in the store are and they don't care to find out for you. At church I have been chewed out by other church goers at the counter I work at because I couldn't specifically answer a question they had (which wasn't for me to know) but have given ample information to get the answers they were seeking. Or another example is when I have tried to help a person workin next to my counter over Christmas with the gifts they were loading up into their van to take to children who clearly could have used an extra hand and ignored as if I wasn't speaking to them. In general, people don't make eye contact with you, and you rarly see someone smile back at you when you smile at them. There is such a negativity all around, that it is hard not to be affected by it. This is especially difficult for me, because I like to be friendly to other people. So how do you flurish in circumstances like these? Or overcome the negativity? It is by far the biggest task I have to overcome while living in this area.

A New Addition to Our Golf Family

Congratulations to Lindsay & Josh Riley on the birth of their first child, Hayden Brian Riley!!!!! Kyle and I are so excited for them as they embark on this new adventure and chapter in their lives! Josh is Kyle's 1st assistant at Glen View Club, and we are both very honored to know and have Josh among us! Click on the link to the right to see baby Hayden!

Momentary Lapse of Geniusism

Is that a word? Anyway more on my inability to spell things later, for now, I thought that I might entertain you (besides my spelling), with something somewhat humerous! About a week and a half ago, on a Friday, I was hastily trying to get out of the house. My mind was not focused on the steps needed to be taken before I left, but rather on a matter I could not shake. Usually when I leave, I put the dogs in the den and put up the gate so that they don't go whizzing all over the house. Poor girls used to get the run of the main living area, until the wet spot appeared on a not necessarily expensive area rug (you know dollar store - $30). That ended it all. (Well, I am still trying to get them out of my bed too! They manage to find their way back though.) Evidently, my wonderful pooches thought that they would let me know exactly what they thought of their freedom and my leaving them.... No, they didn't whizz on the inexpensive new area rug (outdoor carpet this time - prices are rising - had to look elsewhere). They whizzed on the accompaning chair's cushion to our couch! No, I didn't beat them, although I would have liked to... It went all the way through the cushion, destroying the innerards (sp?)!!

Thank God for JoAnn Fabrics! They do sell high density foam for things not such as this, but rather for someone who is talented enough to make something exciting out of it. Being just so tickled pink I came home and quickly got my supplies and starting wrapping the batting around the foam. The lady at the store told me not to glue it but to use a string....well, I figured good 'ole packing tape ought to do the job, besides it's clear and it won't show like masking tape!!??? What!?! Yeah, it won't show like the masking tape would, you know, it's clear! So off I went to work - looked beautiful! I stuffed it inside the covering (that Kyle washed for me), and walla! Perfect! Except for one thing, it crinkles......every time you move.

No, I haven't changed it.......yet. So if you come to my house and sit on the chair, don't ask, just smile and chuckle a little, and I will too!

Application to my life in Christ: I am not perfect and cannot do these things on my own. Even with the best laid intentions, I am still a sinful woman, and can do nothing apart from Him.

Yes, an application even when it is just about a stupid cushion! Hope you enjoyed!

The Easter Principle: "You have to die - if you want to live."

On a personal level, this Easter and Good/Black Friday, this year, was huge for me. Why? Well, because this is the first time since being back in Illinois that I would mourn the death and celebrate the resurrection at my new home church. And as I reflect on last year at this time, I was in a very desperate place in my life being back near home. It wouldn't be until next Sunday at this time last year that I would "arrive" at my new home, just before I felt like I couldn't take it anymore being seperated from my flock. Also, my mom's mother died last year on Good/Black Friday. But out of that pain of loss came for me, a time that Christ would address my longings of a home church and feeling isolated and therefore place me with my family for an all important time of year. Thank you sweet Jesus.

This was the message Pastor James preached on this Easter Sunday. To add to my hightened anticipation of this special time of year, our church, Harvest Bible Chapel, that is nearly 10,000 strong and meets on 3 campuses (Niles, Rolling Meadows, and Elgin), would unite us for an extra special time of worship and praise at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. On a quick side note, my church is big, but it is nothing like many other large churches out there. Pastor James is fired up about preaching the word of God - even if it hurts. And I personally, love that awesome ability to keep it real, even if it is not popular, and in the midst of critics. I think that is why God has poured out blessings all over this church and has grown it's numbers. Anyway, I am not sure how many attended just yet, but I will let you know when the numbers do come out! I have to say that I was amazed at how smoothly run, organized, and well thought out this outing was. From parking to childcare to seating, simply amazing. By and far the best Easter service I have ever seen. Next year, I am excited to be counted as one of the many serving instead of attending! I think I will start rotating every other year.

Even though the message today wasn't necessarily profound for a believer, I was still able to glean many aspects where the principle can be applied in my life itself. Most of us have heard:

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, is by Faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV)

Recently, I have been hearing God's call to die in areas of my life that I continue to hold on too. To make more of a daily, no hourly, conscious effort, to get myself out of the way, so God can do his work through me. Just when I think in some of these areas that it might be over, I have relinguished all control, all the signs and symptoms are there, I start spewing out things that are not from God. Or I have stepped in thinking God needs some help??? What is that??? There is certainly room in my heart still to be transformed in this area. It is not enough to know and think that you understand, it has to be lived out. And when it is lived out, is when we shine for Jesus. It has to get messages on that 6 inch highway, and start living it out through Christ. Easter is also a time when many unbelievers come and attend.....what a profound message for that unbeliever to hear.

Oh, heavenly Father, please come into the lives of those lost souls and speak to them personally. Tell them you love them Lord, and that you are sweetly calling their names. Lord, please also, I beg you to erase from their minds any work of man that was not from You. Give them a new and fresh perspective, and hope for a life lived in You. I ask this in Your Sons name, Amen.

Training for a 5k Race

Okay, so it is really only a 3.2 mile race, but I think 5K sounds more intriguing! Anyway, my sister asked me to run a 4 mile race with her this summer at Steam Boat Days in Peoria Which unfortunately, I can't do, but there are many other 5K races throughout the summer. After thinking it over some, I realized: #1 how much I love jogging, and #2 how much I desperately need to get back into a regimented workout schedule again after being unmotivated and lazy for the past 3 months.

Since my thyroid issues this past summer and into fall, I have struggled with energy and maintaining my workout schedule while sleeping 20 hours a day, during that period of time in my life. However, since then I never have any energy and even though I have pushed myself through my workouts this past fall and winter, it usually leaves me in almost a comatose state - I just can't function - litterally. It had gotten so bad, that I had no desire to workout at all. So, I had my thyroid retested recently and it is really good, hedging towards the hyper side - which is fine by me! But still have no energy. I have found life to be very difficult when you lack energy. It affects everything, you mood, your mind, your physical state, your relationships, and so much more.

Moving on, the program I am following is a modified version of "The Couch to 5K Running Program." Here is the link http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Starting at week 3 - 20 minutes of alternation between 90 second run/90 second walk to 1/4 mile run/90 second walk. Instead of 20 minutes I have stretched it to 40 minutes. With a 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cool-down, totaling 50 minutes. This week I am doing 4 intervals of 90 sec run/90 sec walk, to two intervals of 1/4 mile run/90 sec walk, and then back to 4 intervals of 90 sec run/90 sec walk. Interestingly it is just difficult enough for me right now to keep me challenged - this coming from when I usued to be able to run 3 miles last summer no problem (before my thyroid issues). Getting back in shape is not fun. I will keep you posted as to my progress.

One thing I love about challenging your body with exercise is how much it requires you to rely on Christ, and to reflect on how much he suffered for us to ultimately pay that finally sacrifice for our sins. It doesn't necessarily make it easier, but it puts things in a whole new perspective. And when I am working out, challenging my body, that is when I feel closest to Christ.