A real update on our part of the Ekklesia

Some of us got together a few weeks ago for UFC 102, and had a great time. We met early for grilling and some bible study, little fellowship, lots of food. Then we played games for a time while waiting for the event to start...Carrie and Kim both cheated at dice. When it got around to fight time, we all squeezed into the living room (there were a lot of us :) and watched one of the most knock-out packed cards I've seen in a long time. One of the guys who works for Brian came and brought his girl, she had worked all night and fell asleep, poor thing. Everytime something cool happened we all screamed and woke her up, but I think they had fun anyway ;)

Last week we got together twice...Friday night we went to Farmington and cooked out at the Beltons. Doug called Carrie "Kim" and I made a killer chili dip. We talked about Jesus, prayed for people we know and had a great time. Then on Sunday the Beltons came to Owatonna and we met at our house. Doug did a little teaching on Imago Dei...is that too heavy for this blog? He did an awesome job leading a great discussion about the image of God, but I cannot do it justice here. He actually wrote an article about it on his website, www.simeonconnects.com, and I highly recommend checking that out.

Here is what I learned...I have betrayed God, many times. And sometimes I feel like Judas, but I wanna be like Peter. They both betrayed Jesus, but while Judas just felt sorry for himself and killed himself, Peter learned to look inside himself, hate what he sees, and then truly change and live for the Lord. I want to be like that.

I think that's what Jesus meant when he said (of Peter) "on this rock I will build my church" (Follow me now, I know that if you read that in context it is really talking about building the church on the rock of Truth, not Cephas translated "the rock"....I payed attention in "church" and when Brian went to seminary I learned a lot of stuff. So I don't have that Catholic mindset that says the church is built on Peter, the rock) I think Jesus is saying that he wants us, the church, to be like Peter...to understand that we have betrayed him, learn from our mistakes, come out on the other side with a fire in our souls for the gospel, and spread it out to everyone like on the day of Pentecost. He wants to build his church from people like that...people like Peter, who weren't perfect even if they claimed to be, but realized it and got down and dirty with the truth so they could change. I wanna be like that...Make me like that. MR

Oh Lord, I suck at blogging

That seems most irreverent, I am sure, but I guess if you don't like it you should stop eavesdropping on my conversations with God! (that's what you are doing you know, when you listen to someone else pray. I'm not talking to you, or for you, I am talking to God, and you are just listening. If you think you can do it better than me, be my guest, but while I am eavesdropping on you, I will probably still be talking to God silently)

Egads, again almost a month has gone by since I wrote anything down here. I could blame it on the kids being back in school, or my business being so busy, but once again it really comes down to laziness. It's not that I have nothing to update you on...we have been doing plenty...its just that I am very lazy. I promise I am working on that, but as Yoda and my husband say, "there is no try, there is only do or do not"

So what's up with you? How has your personal time serving the Lord been going? Have you been talking to Him? Have you been listening to Him? How about meeting with others with a like-mind...been doing that? Taught anyone something lately? Let anyone listen in on your conversations with God?

Just figured that it doesn't always have to be about me, or what we are doing. Maybe you have something to say...spit it! Might change someone's life, or at least their perspective on God. MR