Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And … Continue reading
Posted in February 2011 …
The Word (by Rebecca Albrecht)
The word inspires me and gives me hope WHEN I am living right. However, when I am amiss I get upset with the Word….like a pouting child saying it doesn’t work…..yes, you just have to believe it and let it work in you. Of course, like in recovery from anything else in life you have … Continue reading
Belief (by Rebecca Albrecht)
Belief is a choice. God’s word is true and you have a choice to believe that or not. Knowing something is true in your head isn’t easy to live out as the intellect isn’t a great motivator. When this knowing connects with your heart…that is the fuel that ignites!!! Jesus wants the whole world to … Continue reading
The Power of Thought (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
There came a point in my life when that care-free child just disappeared. I found myself burdened down with responsibility, expectations, and self doubt. Day after day, I could feel myself sinking but couldnt find a way to get out. Slowly, I was forgetting the brightness and beauty of life. I was slipping slowly into … Continue reading
Importance (by Becky Rommel)
Good morning!! How important are you? Or shall I say to whom are you important? My sister Sarah feeds the homeless in Indy on Sat. Mornings. There was this man that she prays for that has nothing, but he still remains strong in his faith under any circumstance. Some would call him a disgrace to … Continue reading
Horrible Choices (by D.A. Cobb)
A few years ago I met a delightful young woman. I immediately saw her beauty, sensed her innocence and felt her compassion. We became good friends and she helped me through some challenging times for which I remain eternally grateful. She was working her way through college to become a nurse and receiving high grades … Continue reading
God’s Love (by Rebecca Albrecht)
I never wanted to die without being loved for who I am…not for what I can do or give…but just for who I am. How could I believe God loved me so much when family of origin did not? It was all performance and conditional…Yikes! Many believers do not believe God loves them and they … Continue reading
Teaching Others (by Rebecca Albrecht)
Do we do what we teach others to do? Heard a sermon today of meat and potatoes…at the end the preacher handed out pieces of paper which had on one side the word “application” and the other side the phrase “prayer request.” His intent was for us is not to just to hear the Word and … Continue reading
Icebreakers and Igloos (by Len Winneroski)
“Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” Luke 11:46 (New International Version) Icebreakers are cool. There is something awesome and fearless about huge icebreaking ships smashing through frozen water … Continue reading
Prophets, Priests and Poets and Fishing the Abyss
Friends. God blessed me this week with a new friend who has two very cool websites. I will post them in the manna Blogroll too: http://www.prophets-priests-poets.info/ and http://www.fishingtheabyss.com/
I See You Hiding (by Rebecca Albrecht)
I see you hiding there, come out and dance with Me. Hide and seek isn’t just for kids, there is an adult version that is like the parable of the talents. We bury our talent, acting as if it needed to be preserved. Talents and gifts are given to us for His glory. Shying away, … Continue reading
Old Wounds – New Pain (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
Tomorrow night I will be sitting with some wonderful women of God and we will be discussing the importance of forgiveness. I know that many of them have very deep hurts and those hurts seem impossible to heal and move on from. Others are not sure if they have ever experienced such a crippling event. … Continue reading
Choice (by D.A. Cobb)
The other day I needed to make an emergency grocery run as I was completely out of my favorite breakfast cereal. I really never thought about it but as I walked the store I found cereal products take up one full aisle, three and sometimes four shelves high. I remember as a kid our choices … Continue reading
Jesus’ Love is Everlasting (by Paige Jia Qin Winneroski, 2nd grader)
Jesus’ love is everlasting. He will be there every step you take. He’s there when you sin. He never takes His love off you. He follows you. He is powerful, prince of peace. He is Emmanuel. He is the king’s King. He never lets us down. He is our King.
Sweet Truth (by Becky Rommel)
Good Morning!! I bought my family each a HEART shaped box of CHOCOLATE for VALENTINES. Some say “life is like a box chocolates you never know what you’re going to get.” But that’s not true when you OPEN your HEART to GOD. You were no SURPRISE to Him. He HAND PICKED you from the beginning. … Continue reading
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…Who Am I After All? (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
The past few years for me have been difficult to say the least. I have been tormented by what my call in life is and what I should be accomplishing. I have always been one of those people who couldn’t seem to sit still. I was always involved in everything, played every sport, sang in … Continue reading
Knowledge and Life (by Len Winneroski)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 (New International Version) This morning I was reading about trees. In the second chapter of … Continue reading
Happiness Is….. (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
My heart was nearly broken yesterday. How is it that a person could never have experienced happiness? Is it possible to forget what happiness feels like? Have I ever experienced such pain that I could, literally, forget what happiness was like? A beautiful woman of God said those very words to me yesterday. “Jen, I … Continue reading
I beleve in Jesus Because (by Paige Jia Qin Winneroski, 2nd grader)
I beleve in Jesus because he’s always there for me. I beleve in Jesus because he’s our King and he will never die ever again. I beleve in Jesus because he never give’s up. I beleve in Jesus because he is always there for me. I beleve in Jesus because he is the King of … Continue reading
The Best Prayer that I Ever Heard…
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17 Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to help out in our church’s children’s ministry (1st grade thru 5th grade). At the end of class it was time to pray and each … Continue reading
You’ve Been Missed (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
I love it when my kids come home. I love hearing the door open or seeing their smiling faces when I pick them up from somewhere. Even if they’ve had a bad day- I just love that initial embrace we get. Once Kennedy started riding the bus, the initial “welcome home” kind of changed. We … Continue reading
Full Coverage (by Becky Rommel)
Good Morning!!! Do you have FIRE INSURANCE? Not on your home… on your SOUL? That’s all some Christians want in their life, just enough Grace to be saved for the INSURANCE of heaven ALONE. They are not interested in the COVERAGE Jesus gives to them on a daily basis. That would be too COMPREHENSIVE. After … Continue reading
The Puppet Master (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
According to the encyclopedia, the definition of a puppeteer is: a person who manipulates an inanimate object—a puppet—in real time to create the illusion of life. Everday, every action, reaction, spoken word, and even thought requires such a huge amount of conscious effort. The choices that I make effect my life, yet there are times … Continue reading
Gentle Reminder (by D.A. Cobb)
Yesterday while stopped at a traffic light my mind began to wander. It seems to stray more frequently as each year passes. When the signal turned green I was still in some far away and dreamy place, totally unaware of my surroundings. The driver behind me honked, not loud or rudely as we have come … Continue reading
My Journey Through the Desert (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
I have spent a great deal of time thinking about Moses these past few months. I have tried to imagine what he felt during those 40 years in the desert. I can only imagine that he felt confused, abandoned, as though he was watching his life pass hime by. All the while, God was working … Continue reading
Rising Up To A New Song (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
I’m sure if my neighbors could have heard me this morning, they would have thought I was either reprimanding my children or having a nervous breakdown. If they had been able to see into my windows they surely would have seen a maniac woman, throwing her hands up, and screaming at who knows what. For … Continue reading
Chains of Unforgiveness (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
“Put on then, Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgine you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13. My heart was broken today. I have spent every waking moment … Continue reading
Jesus Loves the Unlovable (by Becky Rommel)
Good Morning!! I was thinking this morning how special each one of you are to me, I love my friends. This made me think about all of Jesus’ friends and how much He loved them. They were prostitutes, murders, and Tax collectors. Wow!! What a group of friends!! And I thought you guys were bad!!! … Continue reading
Fire and Light (by Len Winneroski)
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that … Continue reading
Jesus Wept (by Becky Rommel)
Good Morning!!! Jesus wept. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the bible. I feel it is one of the most important to me. Our Father in heaven knew just how many times you and I would cry. Some days when I’m alone I will cry out, knowing that God alone knows the hidden feelings … Continue reading
Empty (by D.A. Cobb)
Last weekend I was driving to church after visiting a close friend at the hospital. He is suffering from the ravages of cancer and the prognosis is not very good. It is difficult, and at times overwhelming, to see someone you love and care for painfully approach life’s end. As a humble spokesman for Christ … Continue reading
Where is God? (by Ricky Maye)
One of the Hebrew names used for God in the Old Testament is Ha-Makom which means “The Place.” This idea of God sometimes can seem to limit the omnipresence of God since our view of a place is one-sided; an example of this is that if God is in this place he must not be … Continue reading
Gardening of the Soul (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
I was a world traveler this past summer. I was very thankful when I finally got home. That was until I saw my garden. Dan isn’t much on landscaping. I have the green thumb in the family and I really enjoy it. Its alot of work but I love the quietness and the oasis that … Continue reading
Dream Readers (by Len Winneroski)
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 (New International Version) I love dreams. In my dreams I can fly, I never need sleep, I am wiser than Solomon, I can run … Continue reading
Facing Disappointment Head On (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
We all face disappointment. I couldnt count the times that I have been disappointed in my life. Disappointment comes in all forms – our children, spouses, relationships, friendships or even ourselves. Many times we find that we are our own worse enemy and so we sit in our self pity and disappointment. As I write … Continue reading
Life in a Crowded Room (by Ricky Maye)
Life is crowded and loud. We are all searching for company; this is why major book stores and places like Starbucks become so profitable. People sit for hours doing things they could do at home, but in public. We are social, we are seeking; all looking for something. Yet sometimes all I hear is noise, … Continue reading
To Be Uncommon (by Jen Duffy Ruzicka)
My daughter, Kennedy, began bringing home these rubber band bracelets a few weeks ago. At first, I questioned where they were coming from but soon realized that these cute bands were the newest fad for school aged children. They come in all sorts of shapes and colors; the kids spend their recesses trading them with … Continue reading
Manna and Coffee 