Check out the February newsletter, which contains the February calendar. There’s sure to be an event you’d like to participate in! Everything from social to service, football to live music, it’s all going on in February!
Today’s guest post is from fellow “Quester” Lisa King. Lisa is married with two beautiful children and I know you’ll love reading her story. What a story it is!
“When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.”
©1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley
What’s in a number?
37. It’s just a number, right? We all have “numbers” in our lives. An age. A date.
So what’s so significant about 37?
Well, when you are talking to a preemie mom, everything. Thirty-seven weeks into a pregnancy equals term. Or “Italy.” Even though 37 is really an arbitrary number decided upon by the World Health Organization, it still represents a victory over prematurity.
So, when I embarked on my journey of my 4th pregnancy, only my second to make it past 12 weeks, I had this goal in mind as my “first” goal. The one I would be “ok” with if I made it to. The one that would signify that I made it. I didn’t fail this time. But it was never a foregone conclusion that I would make it.
In fact, it was one of the most nerve wracking things I’ve done. In many ways, ignorance is bliss. And knowing what I did about all of the problems in pregnancy meant I was hyper-sensitive to every sensation I experienced. Every contraction. Every pain. Every odd twinge was noticed, analyzed and either discarded or brought to my doctors attention.
That is no way to go through a pregnancy. It’s incredibly scary and nerve wracking.
And it took waking up daily, standing with my head held high, my shoulders back and the knowledge that whatever that day brought, God would help me through it.
There was no other way to get through 37 weeks of pregnancy.
A friend posted this status on Facebook recently and it rang very true:
~Fear of failure and fear of the unknown are always defeated by faith. Having faith in yourself, in the process of change, and in the new direction that change sets will reveal your own inner core of steel~
The question is…what is your inner core of steel? Mine? It’s God. Because, even though the things I’ve seen were not near as bad as they could have been, they had the power to break me. In my journey as a preemie mom, I’ve seen these things break many a strong woman.
Entering into another pregnancy meant I had to take a leap of faith. I didn’t know the outcome. I couldn’t ensure 37 weeks. I could only trust God that He also had this one in His hands and He would see that the baby came when the baby was ready. And that if that was significantly pre-term again, He would get me through that journey again.
Thankfully, I got my 37. I’ve been to Italy. And I thank God for letting me see both Holland and Italy. For without Holland, I don’t know that Italy would be as beautiful and unique. And without Italy, Holland would never shine as the beautiful place it also is.
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Is Lisa great or what?? Now you see what I meant when I said, “What a story it is!”.
Have you been in search of Italy, but taken a detour to Holland, instead? Find the beauty, the significance, and the hope that lies in Holland. Find the all-encompassing peace that lies in God’s love for us. Even the most extreme detours are held in His hand. If He brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.
Do you know the story of the healing at the pool? You probably know it better by the description of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. I’m going to follow Andrew’s lead from Sunday and take a different approach. Read the short passage below, I’ll meet you there at the end.
John 5:1-15
The Healing at the Pool
1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Oh good, I’m glad you’re here. Sometimes scripture reading tends to scare us away a bit, but you know, if you dig into it, it’s fascinating. This reminds me of a post I wrote a while back, read it here if you like, it’s called, “The Bible Gets You Going, Right?”
Having read the passage above, does any part in particular stand out to you? Sure, Jesus healed on the Sabbath and had a point to make about that, but what about the first part, the part I think often gets overlooked?
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
How often do we wallow in our own self-pity, thinking things are never meant to work out for us. Somebody hurt me, somebody forgot about me, things didn’t go my way, I’ll never accomplish anything again. Do you ever find yourself in the pit of negativity? I know I do. I often have big plans, great motivation, but then one little thing happens that blows it all away. I suddenly feel doomed and only see the past instead of seeing the next thing.
Andrew has a saying that he learned from his prior coach, current boss that always encourages Livy and her HappyFeet soccer team to pick up the pieces after a mishap. “Next thing! Next thing!” he yells. “Next thing, make it a positive and productive thing!”
Whatever just happened, happened. It is what it is, good or bad. What are you going to do about it? How are you going to respond? Where are you going to go next?
Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.
Since taking a break over the holidays, Qexchange gathered tonight to begin discussing our new book, The Search for Significance. The house was packed (not everyone in attendance goes to Quest, by the way) and we jumped right into the topic.
Chapters 1-3 introduce the premise of the book, which is that we often base our self-worth on the opinions and accomplishments of others. I’ll be the first to say that I am currently on the road to rebuilding respect for myself after not finishing college. I’m finding, slowly but surely, that I can still become someone without that degree! In fact, you know what? I already am someone without that college degree. A college degree wouldn’t make me important. In and of itself, it wouldn’t make me respectable, intelligent, fulfilled or happy. All of those characteristics I strive for (and believe most of us strive for) are already right here waiting for me. I already have importance, respect, intelligence, fulfillment and happiness, I just have to accept them.
The great thing is that God’s acceptance of us works the same way. You see, we already have God’s acceptance whether we believe it or not. He’s already given it to us. We don’t have to do any certain thing, say any certain prayer, or believe any certain stuff. God loves us already. He loves us just as we are (yes, warts and all), but loves us too much to leave us just as we are. When we let go of our comparisons and fears, we can embrace who God created us as and blossom into who He calls us to be. We can find freedom in His grace.
When I allow myself to let go of the past and believe that God created me for a purpose, to believe that I’m already living my purpose, I’ll be free to bask in the glory of life.
And the same goes for you.
What are the two great commandments in the Bible? Come on, you know them, say it with me: ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.”
We have so much trouble loving others because we can’t love ourselves!
Think about that. Allow yourself to be loved by yourself. See how much love you can then pour out for others.
We’ll do it together.
I should apologize for the absence of blog posts for the last few weeks. I’ve been busy planning Quest’s 2012 and it’s certainly going to be an exciting year!
A newsletter will come out next week detailing the upcoming events, but I want you to have a heads up as soon as possible on a few things. Here’s some of the cool stuff in store:
Jan 24: Qexchange at 7pm NEW BOOK! We will be reading The Search for Significance. All are welcome, you do not need to attend Quest. This is held at the Clifton home, please email micah at quest2819 dot org for location information.
Jan 29: Prayer Breakfast at 8am at Quest. Join us for a short prayer session and breakfast before church on Sundays. This is held every Sunday, with breakfast being served every other Sunday. The 29th is a breakfast day, so don’t miss it!
Feb 5: First Sunday Potluck at noon at Quest. Bring a side dish and get to know each other better!
Feb 5: Super Bowl Party at 5pm at the Hartzheim home. Click here for more info
Feb 10: Youth Pizza and Planning Event Are you a teen or do you enjoy hanging out with the awesome teens at Quest? Please come to our planning party as we find out what this great group of young people are interested in and are seeking from Quest. Click here for more info!
Feb 17: Winter Jam Tour Spectacular Don’t miss this awesome concert at the Sprint Center! We’ll carpool down there, tickets are only $10 at the door. Click here for more info.
Feb 24: Coupon Party at Quest at 6:30pm Bring your coupons from the Sunday paper (start saving now!!) to this clipping party. We’ll match them to store ads and buy groceries for families in need.
Mar 24: Volunteer at Hillcrest Transitional Housing Thrift Store 10am-1pm Join us as we help set up shop for Hillcrest Thrift Store’s grand opening! This is a great organization that helps get underprivileged and/or homeless people back on the path to success. More info here.
That should keep us all busy for a while!! If you have any questions about any of the events, please comment here or email micah at quest2819 dot org. It’s not too late to get involved with anything you see listed above.
As always, prayer requests can be submitted here and will go straight to Pastor Corey.
I hope you can take a moment to review Quest’s January newsletter. December was a fun month and January has great things in store! Click on any image to enlarge or view the PDF by clicking this link: Jan 2011
Last Friday we celebrated Christmas at Quest with a good ole’ Minute To Win It Christmas party challenge!
What’s that? You don’t know what Minute To Win It is?? Oh, my friend, you are missing out! The TV show lends itself to at-home duplication of the 60-second challenges using household items. The tasks seem relatively easy, but when you’re racing the clock, the pressure mounts!
Our games were neatly packaged (if I do say so myself) with all the supplies necessary to keep the evening flowing smoothly:
We had a group of about 30, which was perfect! Some people played every game, some played a few games, some just watched the fun. We had food and drinks, galore!
Alright, on to the funny stuff:
Jingle In The Trunk: Attach a Kleenex box to your rear and shake the bells out in 60 seconds!
Face the Gingerbread Man: Get a cookie from your forehead to your mouth in 60 seconds without using your hands!
Wreath In One: Throw four balls through the wreath and into your bucket in 60 seconds.
Gift Bag Grab: Pick up gift bags of various heights with your mouth and set them on a chair. Don’t let anything but your feet touch the floor!
Reindeer Nose Dive: Holding a string in your mouth with a pompom attached to the opposite end, get the pompom to stick the Vaseline on your nose without using any body parts!
How much did you enjoy those pictures?? There are videos that are even better, but technical issues are keeping the stars of those films from being exposed for all to see. (Think: Andrew Clifton doing handstands, cartwheels, and booty bumps trying to get the bells out of his kleenex box!)
To say the party was really, really fun would be an understatement. So many people have talked about how great it was, we’ll definitely do it again next year. Hope you can come!
