One month you're back in the saddle, and the next you're Bucked Off & StrugglingThat terminology might not mean much to you, but many Texans and/or Country/Western people will get the picture I’m painting! If you’re gonna ride horses, you’re gonna get bucked off, or get close to it—that may be inevitable, but what you do next is entirely up to you! Will you be defeated and broken or rise up stronger than before? We're getting involved in even more ministry than before, but it's also taking longer because of this quarantine. We've had to move our meetings to Zoom, our church services to Facebook Live, our lunches with students to video chat, and our personal communication to the phone and on-line. It's been busy, but good; it's been productive, but we've also been watching a lot more media than we did before the Corona VIrus Quarantine! As a result, I've also been encouraging people to use some of their binge-watching time to watch the approximately 4.5hrs of The Chosen episodes (The Shepherd pilot + 8 Episodes), and here's a post about that. The world has been taken by storm in the wake of the pandemic spread of the Corona Virus. COVID-19 is making a lot of people fearful of the future, to say nothing of the present. This is not unique to your community or family but, as your family is nevertheless affected, your concerns are deeply powerful and personal. They can shape your thoughts in despair or hope, with worry or peace. It may be hard in this time period to think beyond yourself. No. Sorry, that sounds selfish. There's nothing wrong with loving yourself, because that's exactly how we're told to love our neighbors (Mk 12:28-31). What I mean is we all sometimes struggle to see the world outside our four corners, because what's happening to us most directly affects us. I'm not going to add an additional burden on you. Quite the opposite! We will use April to connect with you and to celebrate YOU! That means I'd love to hear from you regarding THREE things:
Get back to me by email, responding on the website, on Facebook, with Twitter, Instagram, or even on Voxer if you've got that and would like to chat! Prayer, Praise, & People Here's a snapshot of the ministry right now:
SPOTLIGHT: You!Yes, I’m talking about YOU! I want to tell your stories, not just mine. This quarantine has led to ministry and life being done differently. Online services aren't for the megachurches only now; they're for the smaller churches that don't want to shut down! Those who didn't know much about technology before are learning how to use Zoom, FaceTime, and a host of other technological means of keeping in touch with each other. I have been moved by my search online to see how others are handling this quarantine; I have talked to many of you and been blessed to hear your stories and pray for your needs; and let’s be real—I’ve cracked up at some of those #CoronaVirus memes! This is just a snapshot of how we have learned:
If there is anything else that you would like to be shared here, please share it with me and let's bless each other so we will all be encouraged in our isolation! |
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December 2020
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