Tuesday, March 30, 2010

march for babies

My church, Centerpoint, is very excited to be a part of the March for Babies this year! Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. We've created a team because we want to do something about this. The money we raise will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. Also, it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.

Our team goal is to raise $500 by April 18th. If you would like to donate to our team, please visit the team web page: http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1388030.

Thank you for helping give all babies a healthy start!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

becoming selfless

For the past couple of weeks my Conversations group has been talking about becoming selfless. We've been examing scriptures such as Philippians 2:3 which says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." We've also considered the ultimate example of selflessness found in Jesus.

I've got a confession to make: I am selfish. I think about me, myself, and I way too much. My biggest complaint to God is, "why me?" and "what about me?"

Admitting that I am selfish is one step in the journey of becoming selfless. The next step in the journey is to actually practice selflessness. At the end of last week I tried to do one selfless act. I say "tried" because by the time I finished the act, I was mad at the person I was trying to do the act for. This week, however, I tried again...and succeeded! :)

The journey doesn't end with one selfless act. Rather, this is just the beginning of the journey. The challenge for me is to continue to practice selflessness. For now, the goal is to committ to at least one selfless act each week.

All of us struggle with selfishness. How do you deal with the selfishness in your life? What does your journey to becoming selfless look like?

Monday, March 1, 2010

big house

Ok, so today I was listening to the radio and one of my favorite songs from when I was a kid came on the radio - "Big House" by Audio Adrenaline. For those of you who don't know, Audio Adrenaline used to be a pretty popular Christian band, back in the day. :)

When I was a kid, my best friend, Honesty, and I came up with a little dance that went along with this song. To this day, whenever the song comes on the radio I smile and remember that silly little dance. Sometimes, when no one is looking, I even do the dance! (Don't get any bright ideas....I'm NOT going to do the dance for you!)

But more than remembering the dance, I remember my friend and the times we shared together. I think of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Friendships are so important and necessary in life. Friends challenge us, help us to see the world in a different way, and are there for us when things fall apart. Life was not meant to be done alone; God made us to live life in community, with friends. I, for one, am forever thankful for the friendships God has placed in my life, both now and in the past.

What kind of memories do you and your best friend share?

memories of my dad

A few of my favorite memories as a child include my dad. My dad liked a lot of things - trains, fish, baseball - but one of the passions we shared together was a love of astronomy. My dad would read books and record tv shows about the stars, constellations, and comets. He would even write about the stuff in his journals! Needless to say, he was a big fan. :)

When I was in the third grade, my dad came to my class and gave a presentation about the solar system. He taught us how to memorize the names of the 9 planets by teaching us this funny little phrase: "My very educated mother just served us nine pickles." He pulled out a map and showed us how to locate some of the popular constellations - the Big & Little Dipper, Orion's Belt, the Seven Sisters.

Sometime that same year he took my class on a "field trip." We didn't go far, just to a dark field early in the morning with a couple of telescopes set up. You see, it was the same time that the famous Haley's comet was making it's way around again, and he wanted us to see it. Unfortunately, we never could get a clear view of the comet. BUT, we were able to see the rings of Saturn, which was very cool! And we got to go to McDonald's for breakfast, which was also very cool!

I miss my dad today. But, I'm grateful for the memories that we made together and the fun times we shared. I'm thankful that I could share the first 10 years of my life with him, and even more thankful that one day I'll be able to spend eternity with him!