‘Walk This Way!’ VBS Starts Sunday!

Christie CroweNo Comments

In case you haven’t heard, Vacation Bible School starts Sunday! We are super excited for our Walk this Way theme that details the apostle Paul’s journey to Jesus. We will follow the story of Paul, and how he started as a persecutor of Christians, but when he met Jesus, he had a completely life changing experience. He went from stoning Christians, to spreading Jesus’ story to others all over the world! Kids will learn that just like Jesus changed Paul, he can change them too. This may be the first time they understand that Jesus actually lived, died, and rose again to save them. And if they already know Jesus as their Savior, this will be a growing experience for them where they can learn that no matter what we do on earth, we’re never too damaged or too far gone for Jesus to save and turn into something great…

Dirty Diapers

Christie CroweNo Comments

As a new parent, I have had a lot of new experiences and surprises. I was warned about so much, but it wasn’t until I experienced it that I truly understood what people were trying to tell me. Every new parent is warned about crying and dirty diapers and spitting up, but I didn’t understand exactly how many dirty diapers we were talking about until we were going through boxes of 140 diapers a week easily. I didn’t grasp how much babies spit up until I changed her clothes 6 times in an hour because of spit ups. I remember hearing crying babies and wondering to myself why their parents were just letting them cry—but now I understand! Crying is the new normal—I’m totally used to answering the phone with a screaming baby in my arms. And the sleep deprivation, as someone who loved sleep, I remember not knowing how…

God is Good, No Matter What

Christie CroweNo Comments

In case you didn’t know, I am 33 weeks pregnant. As it gets closer, the more anxious I get. I have never really considered myself an anxious person, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I started worrying about every possible bad thing that could happen to me or my baby. It doesn’t help that when you’re pregnant, everyone feels like that means they should tell you their pregnancy horror stories. So literally every horror story I hear about labor or delivery, I convince myself that is going to happen to me. Every article I read, I am convinced I have that illness. Every pain I feel, I think I’m going into preterm labor. My family and friends try to help. They tell me these bad things aren’t going to happen to me. They tell me that I have to stop worrying because stress can harm the…

Future Paradise

Christie CroweNo Comments

If you missed church this past Sunday, you really missed out! We got to watch the new Star Wars trailer. I don’t know about you, but I am super excited for this movie and have been for a long time, so I was super excited Mark incorporated that into his message this past week. Mark’s point was that all stories are about good vs. evil. Even though we had a clear cut ending with Star Wars where good won out, for the story to come back, there has to be a good vs. evil again. We live in a world of evil. Every morning when I watch the news I am so burdened about another shooting or natural disaster where more people have been killed. When I get to work as the School Counselor of Griffith Elementary, I am more burdened by all of the problems my students face. I…

VBS is Coming to Journey!

Christie CroweNo Comments

I’m so excited about our Vacation Bible School this year! The more I plan for it, the more excited I get. The theme for VBS this year is “MOVE”. It’s all about moving away from our selfish lives that are all about us, to a passion filled life following God’s path. God has a plan for our lives. We want to teach our kids that we want to MOVE towards that path that God has created for us, and not just get stuck in our own path of life’s worries. Each night of VBS, we will look at a different person in the Bible who drastically changed the course of their life when they met Jesus. They MOVED from the person and the life they had before they knew Jesus, to a life that was passion filled and all about following Him. In VBS, your kids will learn about how the Shepherds,…

My Choice…

Christie CroweNo Comments

If you have missed this sermon series, “My Brother’s Keeper”, you have really missed out! These past few sermons have reminded me how important accountability to our brothers and sisters in Christ is. This past Sunday, Stacy talked to us about accountability and submission. Ultimately, unless we choose to submit to what our brothers and sisters in Christ are telling us, than we are not being accountable. You can go to church every Sunday, and even be a part of a small group, but that doesn’t mean you are being accountable. You have to choose to submit. You have to choose to open your heart to your brothers and sisters in Christ, and share your concerns and struggles with them. That is what is so hard for me. Talking about my struggles to another person, who could share your secrets and problems with the world? It is really hard to…

Showing His Light

Christie CroweNo Comments

I have loved this sermon series on how we are God’s Canvas. Stacy’s jar demonstration was amazing! If you missed out, she broke a clay jar, and during the sermon it was glued back together. Then she put a light in it, and the light shined through the cracks. She used that as an example of how God can use our brokenness to show His light. It was such a powerful example of how God can use us, no matter what mistakes we have made in our past. And then this past week, Mark talked about how we often only think of our own prayers, but we have to remember that God is listening to billions of prayers! It is easy to focus on “why isn’t God answering my prayer?” But we really need to stop and think about how God IS answering all of the BILLIONS of prayers, just…

Not Sorrowing as Others

Christie CroweNo Comments

Last Tuesday, November 11, marked one year since my Dad passed away. It feels like yesterday, and it is absolutely crazy to me that it has been a whole year since I have seen him. I was a complete Daddy’s girl. My dad was the most loving dad a kid could have, and a light to everyone who knew him. I think about him every day, but last week was especially hard. Most days I’m ok, but some days I cry at anything someone says to me. A reference to their Dad, or about someone who has cancer, or a reference about a loved one of their’s passing away—some days these comments don’t affect me, and some days I can barely make it away from them before I burst into tears from the pain of missing my Dad. I have been too many funerals, and as a School Counselor, I…

What is He Saying to You Today?

Christie CroweNo Comments

Sometimes in the sermon, something really stands out to me, and it’s all I can think of during the week. This past week, Mark talked about how nobody wants that friend who is only around when they need something. Everybody has a friend like that. Every time your cell phone rings and it’s that person, you think to yourself what do they want now? But do we treat God that way? Do we only talk to him when we need something? Do all of our prayers consist of asking God to help us? That really spoke to me. It really challenged me. I definitely don’t want to only be coming to God with my requests and concerns. But if I’m honest, I know that most of my prayers are me asking God for things or to help me through things. I like it when different sermons/ devotions/small group lessons come…

Take a Moment

Christie CroweNo Comments

There is no one who likes a schedule more than me. I like to know ahead of time what is going to happen and when, so that I can prepare and do what I’m supposed to do on time. I am learning slowly that things do not always run according to schedule. Other things always seem to intervene, and think to myself how will I ever get everything done? But God is in charge of our lives and orchestrates what happens to us, so He must put these interruptions in our lives for a reason. What do we do when our busy day of moving is interrupted by an upset friend? It is easy to ignore them or come up with a reason why we can’t help them and to press on with the matter on our schedules. But what does Jesus want us to do? I think this passage…

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