Winds of Life

My Canoe @ Urban Ecology Center

Nature consistently provides me with some kind of life or biblical application. Today on my canoe, enjoying the sound of nothing but birds chirping and bugs buzzing about, I stopped rowing and laid back to take it all in. For a few moments I closed my eyes, and after opening them only moments later, I realized the wind was pushing the boat towards a patch of reeds I was about to get stuck in.

Life is like that. If we let winds of negative influences, improper motives, temptation & stress impact us more than our God-given direction and obedience, we end up where we don't want to be, or shouldn't be, sometimes completely turned around – stuck, even.

When we let the wind blow us away it's that much more work to get back to where we wanted to be. Difficulty increases because we then have to return against the current. Stay focused and don't let the winds of life take control of your direction.

In The Word

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. - Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. - James 1:6-8 (NIV)

When ‘Keeping It Real’ Goes Wrong

“Pastor’s wife beats down pre-teen girl at park… More on your News at 10…”

That’s how the headlines could have read, had I acted on a situation in a less-than-respectful way.  Let me back track a bit...  Tonight during my walk with our doberman, I headed over to the park where I let her run in an enclosed area – since there were people there I headed out around the park trail first.  On my way back, I stopped near the swings to take a quick break.  Some kids were on the nearby jungle gym.

No sooner than I sit down, does an obnoxious young girl open her mouth to start talking trash, with a vocabulary that would rival that of a sailor.  I’m guessing she was no more than 13, but who knows, because as I get older my estimation of ages has changed…  Plus it was dark enough  that it was tough to see, and apparently so dark that she started in by hurling Mexican and Puerto Rican insults at me (I’m very clearly white, by the way.)  There were 3 people with her, one of which I think was actually another girl’s mom – who were Hispanic, which made me wonder why on earth they’d be with this foul-mouthed child who just insulted their race, and then made it worse by trying to swear in Spanish (quite poorly, I might add).

So this girl makes her way over to the swings, trying quite obviously to get a rise out of me.   She clearly had a huge chip on her shoulder and must frequently seek attention by causing trouble.   Seriously, she tried pushing all the buttons – and I was tempted to ‘keep it real’.   After I stated that her friends should be embarrassed to hang around someone so ignorant and rude, especially after saying I was a Pastor’s wife, they started telling her to shut up and defended me.  Too funny.  Thing is, is that I struggle with anger issues, so within my mind I’m flashing several scenarios…   Seriously.

It got to the point that I told her she’s not attracting anything good in her life by speaking and acting this way, to which she quickly retorted, “Well I don’t need no friends, I’m fine all by my own”.  Which got me thinking – That which is within the heart does proceed out of the mouth.  The root of her issue is loneliness – it explains the need to seek attention (albeit in a negative manner) and the obvious deep-seeded anger for a girl of such a young age.  I told her I’d pray for her to grow up and out of that.  In the end when she realized I wasn’t going to ‘keep it real’ she finally said “Oh I was just playin’ to see what you’d do.”  Riiiight.

I tell that story to share this with you – We all have our obnoxious pre-teen trash talking girls in our life.  For some its road rage from other drivers, for others its rude or lascivious co-workers.  One thing my father-in-law says:  “You have to keep going through a test until you pass.  It’s best to pass it the first time.”  I hope I passed this test, so I can move on to the next level.  May we understand the depths from where people’s words and actions come from, in order to have compassion rather than hatred for them.

In The Word

But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. – Matthew 15:18

Photo Credit: stephencaver.com

7 Tips To Dine On A Dime

Love to dine out, but short on ends?  I’ve compiled some of our knowledge about making a dollar stretch without sacrificing your dining out experience.  Enjoy!

Restaurant.com
$2 for $25 worth of food?  Yes.  Many restaurants use this tool to build business.  They offer discounted dining certificates online – it’s a great way to try new dining destinations.  For example, for about $10, you can purchase a $25 certificate.  Certificates are available in limited quantities for set amounts, usually around $10, $25, $50, $100.  Be sure to check out the fine print as some aren’t good on weekends or require a minimum amount spent.  The certificates can be printed and used within a year.  Plus – If you follow @CouponSpy on twitter, they occasionally publish discount codes to get 80% off – basically – you spend $2 and get $25 worth of food.  Want to find a code fast?  Search twitter for ‘restaurant.com code’. Bet.

Network, Baby!
Follow your local restaurants on Twitter and Facebook.  Many offer online specials and giveaways.  I’ve gotten gift certificates just for retweeting a restaurant’s posting as part of a giveaway.  Check out my list of Milwaukee restaurants on Twitter.

Be A Regular!
Sign up for Rewards Programs, get free food! For example, upon signing up for AJ Bombers’ email list, you’re sent a certificate for a free side or drink.  Bring two or more friends on your next visit, get a free burger.   Save those frequent diner cards – Bartolotta has a great rewards program, Stack’d gives a free burger for every 10 purchased… need I go on?  When going out with friends, use those cards and earn credits fast!

Entertainment Book
Not only are the coupons in the book a great way to save and try new spots, Entertainment Book now also offers online coupons for use year-round.  Use the additional online coupons for 2-for-1 meals and discounts.  Venues usually offer about 2 additional coupons to use each month.  Order a book here.

Groupon
Albeit not exclusively a source for dining discounts, you can sign up for a daily special offer in your area.  These include offers for 30-90% off dining, entertainment and services.  The catch: You have to purchase the deal that day.  Check out the Milwaukee Groupon deals.

Drop Your Card
Keep business cards on hand to enter for the ‘free lunch’ drawings every time you dine out.  Intentionally seek out those fishbowls and drawing boxes – You’d be surprised at the results.  Many restaurants now offer more than a free lunch.  Noodles & Co awards a free ‘Tasting Experience’ of their full menu for you and 3 friends, and Chipotle’s drawing is for lunch for 16!  I’ve won both just by simply dropping in my card.  Offer to keep friends and co-workers cards on hand to enter on their behalf.  One note – Plan on possibly receiving occasional emails after entering; be sure to have cards with your personal email to minimize the amount of email at work.

Check In!
How could I have forgotten about Foursquare?!  Add this ap to your mobile, and use it to check in at your favorite spots.  Many restaurants offer free drinks for first timers, or special discounts for the ‘Mayor’.  Upon check in, you’ll see a note if there is a ‘special here’ or ‘special nearby’.  Check it out here.

If you know of any other cost-saving techniques, please do share!  Happy dining!

Membership: Priceless

Are you a member? Why is membership important?

In Pastor Rob’s sermon series based on the ‘9 Marks of a Healthy Church’, one of the marks highlighted is Membership. As we recently presented a new group of members at EMF, and prepare to begin another round of membership classes, consider why membership is important to you.

At EMF we recognize the need for a formal membership for at least three reasons.

1. First, we believe the concept of membership is biblical. While the term “church member” is never used, the concept is implicit throughout the New Testament. Believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local body and were challenged to become devoted participants.
2. Second, formal membership is valuable to the leaders of the church as they seek to fulfill their God-given task of shepherding. Our church is and always will be a place where everyone is welcome to come and explore. At some point, however, it is important to identify those who truly comprise the “flock” at Everlasting Mercy Fellowship — the core that can be counted on to build and sustain the ministries of the church. Every team needs a roster.
3. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, experience shows that membership benefits the individual. In a culture where commitment is no longer highly valued, recognizable membership is an important step that moves each of us out of the vague clouds of our good intentions and into the clear light of committed participation. It presents a challenge to “step out of the stands” and publicly affirm a commitment to Christ and to a specific local body. In a sense, membership can be a significant “defining moment” in one’s lifelong discipleship journey.

Check out the notes from the 9 Marks site about membership:

What is it? According to the Bible, church membership is a commitment every Christian should make to attend, love, serve, and submit to a local church. Where is it in the Bible?

• Throughout Old Testament history, God made a clear distinction between his people and the world (see Lev. 13:46, Num. 5:3, Deut. 7:3).
• Christ says that entering the kingdom of God means being bound to the church “on earth” (Matt. 16:16-19; 18:17-19). Where do we see the church on earth? The local church.
• The New Testament explicitly refers to some people being inside the church and some people being outside (1 Cor. 5:12-13). This is much more than a casual association.
• The church in Corinth consisted of a definite number of believers, such that Paul could speak of a punishment inflicted by the majority (2 Cor. 2:6).
• Not only does the New Testament speak of the reality of church membership, but its dozens of “one anothers” are written to local churches, which fill out our understanding of what church membership should practically look like.

Why is it important? Biblical church membership is important because the church presents God’s witness to himself in the world. It displays his glory. In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful for saving and transforming sinners.

Interested in membership? Talk to Pastor Rob or Pastor Leandro about attending the next 'R.E.A.C.H. 101' membership class!

Buckets of Hope

We’re excited to have received an update about the ‘Buckets of Hope’ sent to Haiti from EMF – here’s the latest news!

July 1, 2010

We are very excited to finally be writing this letter of thanks for your participation in the Disaster Relief ministry we call Buckets of Hope for Haiti. We have been waiting to send this letter so we could include the total amounts as well as the good news of the buckets clearing customs and being delivered to the people. That is now happening! Thank you God!

Now we want to say how thankful we are to the many individuals and churches in Minnesota and Wisconsin that promoted, packed, and collected the buckets. Through our Minnesota - Wisconsin Baptist Convention, you have contributed 546 buckets, included in the national total of more than 155,000.

You have a heart for giving and caring to help others. After the earthquake struck and tore open Haiti, we saw the hearts of people in our churches open wide wanting to help. Help came in from all over our two states. We received buckets – from all directions and also money to purchase the list of food items along with the buckets for these Buckets of Hope. Our own state staff each contributed a bucket on behalf of their family and our WMU contributed five buckets.

We are reminded of Ecclesiastes 4:12b “…a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” As we work together, we see that we can do so much more than individually. This project was possible in part because of Cooperative Program and people who put this together.

THANK YOU truly comes from our hearts on behalf of the people in Haiti. As the people receive these buckets, there is a gospel message included in their language and a personal contact from the local church in their area.

We are thankful how God brings these opportunities for ministry and wants to include each of us. There is a need for people to help each other and to share the Good News of the One who offers hope!

Dave Wedekind, Missions Ministries Catalyst
Jeanne Wedekind, Missions Education Catalyst

Are You Being Sharpened?

Consider the influence, be it positive or negative, that those around you have upon your life. An oft-quoted saying goes: "Show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are." Another version says: "Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future."

Have you ever seen someone get stuck in a bad situation because they were with the wrong crowd? Wrong time, wrong place kind of thing? I believe that many of those situations could truly be avoided, were we more careful about whom we allow to 'sharpen' us.

Think about it this way - If we surround ourselves and seek counsel from people who are persistently negative, surrounded by a cloud of drama, and seem to like it that way (by doing little to improve the situation), what kind of influence and impact do you foresee them having on your life?

On the flipside, imagine building relationships with those who desire to challenge themselves, who refuse to be complacent in their own lives, and strive to achieve. Their influence causes us to look at ourselves, challenge the norm and do something positive and meaningful in our lives.

I see many people pulled in by drama which really has nothing to do with them. Imagine a friend complaining about a co-worker. A simple bad day at work can get negatively amplified so much so that the person listening to the complaints also begins to have a bad day… The listener re-tells the story, which gets relayed on to another friend, until a simple misunderstanding has now become the focus of a handful of people, magnifying a trivial occurrence. Some 'gurus' call this 'Viral Negativity'.

Simple solution: Stop partaking in drama! Stop listening, walk away, or change the subject.  And here's one we won't like to hear - Mind your own business!

I call it the theory of ‘sharpening’. Whatever you rub yourself up against is bound to have some impact on you. Seek to balance your life with people who will sharpen you in a positive way. Sometimes sharpening hurts. Sometimes friends will need to confront you, but we are the better for it. Allow yourself to be sharpened this week.

In The Word

Proverbs 27:17 (The Message)
You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.