Dom and a soilder during WWII.
Dom and my peeps in 2005.Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Persistence
A few weeks ago, I really needed to talk to a pastor. There was a ministry issue I needed guidance on.
I picked up the phone and called....Steve. It rang and rang and went to voicemail.
I dialed...Paul who is my advising pastor for RivRunners. It rang and rang and went to voicemail.
I wasn't about to give up. I next dialed Noel. The phone rang and rang and went to voicemail. Now I was a little frustrated so I went to Dan's phone # and...I realized it was Tuesday. Horror came over me as I realized they were all in a meeting...together. I prayed none of them had their cell phones with them but about 20 minutes later...
Steve left me a voicemail. Paul e-mailed me. Noel called me.
"Hey, Holly."
"Uh...(embarrassed)...hey, Noel."
"Normally, I don't call people back who don't leave me a message but I just had to find out what you wanted. It was pretty funny because we were sitting in the pastor's meeting and one by one, our cell phones went off. Well, except Dan's. He felt left out."
Needless to say, I won't be pulling that little stunt again.
I picked up the phone and called....Steve. It rang and rang and went to voicemail.
I dialed...Paul who is my advising pastor for RivRunners. It rang and rang and went to voicemail.
I wasn't about to give up. I next dialed Noel. The phone rang and rang and went to voicemail. Now I was a little frustrated so I went to Dan's phone # and...I realized it was Tuesday. Horror came over me as I realized they were all in a meeting...together. I prayed none of them had their cell phones with them but about 20 minutes later...
Steve left me a voicemail. Paul e-mailed me. Noel called me.
"Hey, Holly."
"Uh...(embarrassed)...hey, Noel."
"Normally, I don't call people back who don't leave me a message but I just had to find out what you wanted. It was pretty funny because we were sitting in the pastor's meeting and one by one, our cell phones went off. Well, except Dan's. He felt left out."
Needless to say, I won't be pulling that little stunt again.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Happy 5 Year Birthday
5 Years ago…
The Space Shuttle Columbia was reported to have been broke apart and disintegrated over Texas as it embarked on its final approach to a landing after its 28th space mission. All seven crew members are considered to be lost.
Record producer Phil Spector was arrested in relation to an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old woman in Los Angeles. Press reports identify the woman as the actress Lana Clarkson.
United States military officials anonymously confirm to the Washington Post that two Special Forces units have been operating on the ground inside Iraq for over a month, making preliminary preparations for a large-scale invasion.
In Chicago, IL, a stampede at the E2 south side nightclub kills 21 people.
The Station nightclub fire: A fire started by pyrotechnics set-off by Great White, a rock band playing a nightclub in West Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island kills at least 96 and injures nearly 200, with 35 in critical condition. Fatalities from burn injuries are expected to increase.
I walked into Riverview church for the first time on February 16, 2003. There was no headline which would commemorate this event in my life. In fact, it didn’t even have much of an impact on me. I felt sick from the numerous Jack and Cokes the night before. I didn’t know anyone except for the person who drove me there. We sat on the far left side, toward the middle with his parents. Paul DenHerder took the stage and started singing songs like “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” and “Amazing Love.” I wanted to throw up. Steve Sommerlot was next and he asked us to take a moment and ask the people around us what we had or had not received for Valentine’s Day. I could barely stand it. Steve then opened his teaching. The title was “Are you in a Rut?”
Five years ago, I walked into that church and held on tight to myself. I was clinging to myself, clinging to everything I thought was right and good. I held on to my partying lifestyle. I held on to my right to have relations with whomever I wanted. I held on to what was most important in my life: me, my family, my friends and my freedom. February 16, 2003 opened a door in my soul. For the first time, someone was asking me if the way I was doing things was really working. Someone was asking me if I wanted to change for the better. Someone was asking me if I needed and wanted help. Of course, that someone wasn’t Steve. It wasn’t Joey or anyone else I knew.
The second time I went to Riv was a few weekends later. Christ spoke to me in such a compelling way. I saw things right in front of my face which were hidden before. Jesus made Himself known and planted these questions in my heart: Will you cling to me? Can I be your reason for everything? Can I be your family, your friend, and your freedom? Will you try it my way? Will you give up yourself to be someone new in me?
It wasn’t until later that summer when it all clicked. Someone threw down a bridge diagram during church and I saw it all—finally. It still blows my mind how I thought I was a Christian until I actually became one. It still blows my mind that I’ve never rejected Christ even though I’ve rebelled, come back, rebelled again and stayed fast with Him. The Holy Spirit is strong inside of me. It still blows my mind when I remember the rejection from friends and family who thought I was taking this Jesus stuff a little too seriously. That continues to happen, actually. It also still blows my mind when I see people who “give their lives to Christ” and then walk away from Him for one reason or another. I pray that never happens to me. Right now, our bond is so tight, I don’t know how it could split…but really, we’ve only been together for five years J
Happy 5 year birthday to me and thank you, God for saving my life. Thank you for showing me how living for myself doesn’t work. Thank you for showing me how doing thing my way doesn’t work. Thank you for the fiancé you’ve given me. Thank you for the friends in my life who inspire and help me. Thank you for the family that (for the most part) supports me. Thank you for Riverview and the people who lift me up and get honest with me. Thank you for the pastors who teach, reveal, and answer my calls. All of these people are beautiful, wonderful gifts.
Riverview did not change my life as I so often say. Christ used Riverview to soften my heart and prepare me for Himself. February 16 was just the beginning.
I found this online and I could really relate:
Before Christ--The Self-directed life
Self is on the throne. Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord and frustration. Christ is outside the person's life.
A picture of me before Christ:
With Christ--The Christ-directed life
Christ is on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan.
The Space Shuttle Columbia was reported to have been broke apart and disintegrated over Texas as it embarked on its final approach to a landing after its 28th space mission. All seven crew members are considered to be lost.
Record producer Phil Spector was arrested in relation to an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old woman in Los Angeles. Press reports identify the woman as the actress Lana Clarkson.
United States military officials anonymously confirm to the Washington Post that two Special Forces units have been operating on the ground inside Iraq for over a month, making preliminary preparations for a large-scale invasion.
In Chicago, IL, a stampede at the E2 south side nightclub kills 21 people.
The Station nightclub fire: A fire started by pyrotechnics set-off by Great White, a rock band playing a nightclub in West Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island kills at least 96 and injures nearly 200, with 35 in critical condition. Fatalities from burn injuries are expected to increase.
I walked into Riverview church for the first time on February 16, 2003. There was no headline which would commemorate this event in my life. In fact, it didn’t even have much of an impact on me. I felt sick from the numerous Jack and Cokes the night before. I didn’t know anyone except for the person who drove me there. We sat on the far left side, toward the middle with his parents. Paul DenHerder took the stage and started singing songs like “Open The Eyes Of My Heart” and “Amazing Love.” I wanted to throw up. Steve Sommerlot was next and he asked us to take a moment and ask the people around us what we had or had not received for Valentine’s Day. I could barely stand it. Steve then opened his teaching. The title was “Are you in a Rut?”
Five years ago, I walked into that church and held on tight to myself. I was clinging to myself, clinging to everything I thought was right and good. I held on to my partying lifestyle. I held on to my right to have relations with whomever I wanted. I held on to what was most important in my life: me, my family, my friends and my freedom. February 16, 2003 opened a door in my soul. For the first time, someone was asking me if the way I was doing things was really working. Someone was asking me if I wanted to change for the better. Someone was asking me if I needed and wanted help. Of course, that someone wasn’t Steve. It wasn’t Joey or anyone else I knew.
The second time I went to Riv was a few weekends later. Christ spoke to me in such a compelling way. I saw things right in front of my face which were hidden before. Jesus made Himself known and planted these questions in my heart: Will you cling to me? Can I be your reason for everything? Can I be your family, your friend, and your freedom? Will you try it my way? Will you give up yourself to be someone new in me?
It wasn’t until later that summer when it all clicked. Someone threw down a bridge diagram during church and I saw it all—finally. It still blows my mind how I thought I was a Christian until I actually became one. It still blows my mind that I’ve never rejected Christ even though I’ve rebelled, come back, rebelled again and stayed fast with Him. The Holy Spirit is strong inside of me. It still blows my mind when I remember the rejection from friends and family who thought I was taking this Jesus stuff a little too seriously. That continues to happen, actually. It also still blows my mind when I see people who “give their lives to Christ” and then walk away from Him for one reason or another. I pray that never happens to me. Right now, our bond is so tight, I don’t know how it could split…but really, we’ve only been together for five years J
Happy 5 year birthday to me and thank you, God for saving my life. Thank you for showing me how living for myself doesn’t work. Thank you for showing me how doing thing my way doesn’t work. Thank you for the fiancé you’ve given me. Thank you for the friends in my life who inspire and help me. Thank you for the family that (for the most part) supports me. Thank you for Riverview and the people who lift me up and get honest with me. Thank you for the pastors who teach, reveal, and answer my calls. All of these people are beautiful, wonderful gifts.
Riverview did not change my life as I so often say. Christ used Riverview to soften my heart and prepare me for Himself. February 16 was just the beginning.
I found this online and I could really relate:
Before Christ--The Self-directed life
Self is on the throne. Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord and frustration. Christ is outside the person's life.
A picture of me before Christ:
With Christ--The Christ-directed life
Christ is on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan.
A picture of me now:
"One Sunday I listened to the preacher
And i knew he was preaching to me
I couldn't help it I walked up front
And I got down on my knees
Right then and there I swear I changed when I found the Lord
Glory Hallelujah Good God Almighty
I never wanted nothing more
No i never wanted nothing more"
Never Wanted Nothing More ~ Kenny C.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Phil makes me laugh.
A note to the Riv ministry leaders from Phil regarding the building phone:
Also, we added Caller ID on our phone system, so if Satan calls we’ll know not to pick up.
Also, we added Caller ID on our phone system, so if Satan calls we’ll know not to pick up.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
BSF
In Novemberish, I started attending Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) classes in Plymouth. I love it. These classes have challenged me to learn about the Lord and to lean on His understanding. It is so structured and they have trained leaders to help us. This isn’t a “bible study” where you show up and discuss what happened in your life that week. It isn’t a place to vent or have girl time. This is a true bible study.
From the website:
Bible Study Fellowship International provides you with the tools, the environment, the relationships, and the support you need to grow deeper in your knowledge and understanding of God and the Bible. This comprehensive inter-denominational Bible study program helps you gain a practical understanding of this important book.
A. Wetherell Johnson led that first Bible study ... and the organization that grew from it. In fact, in its 50-year history, BSF has had just three leaders: Miss Johnson, Rosemary Jensen, and current director Jean Nystrand. After relocating from Southern California to Oakland in 1958, BSF's headquarters eventually landed in San Antonio, Texas, where it has been since 1980.
BSF includes:
Daily questions for individual Bible Study
Discussion groups
Challenging lectures
Study notes
This approach is consistent with each of BSF’s seven yearlong studies that coincide with the school-year calendar.
Matthew
The Life of Moses
John
History of Israel and the Minor Prophets
Acts of the Apostles
Genesis
Romans
While this is a comprehensive 33-week study, it is also designed for you to jump into it at any time.
On Tuesdays at 6:55 p.m. the music starts. We sing two songs and then break out into our small groups of about 10 – 15 women (the same women each time). My leader, Phyllis, reads through the handout (given the week before), asking us questions. This handout was given to us the week before and contains questions to the week’s reading. Last week, we studied the last 5 parables of Matthew 13. Jesus didn’t offer explanations for these parables so this was a challenging week. Anyhow, our leader must get through the entire handout within an hour. We all chime in with our answers but there is no pressure to answer if you have no clue. There isn’t a lot of time for extra talk, either. There is some discussion but the leader must get through the handout. Around 8:00, we go back down to the main room and sing another song. After this is the lecture which is when I learn the most. BSF ends at exactly 8:55 p.m. and we are given our weekly reading and question handout as we leave the building.
The extra greatness to BSF is that there are classes throughout the nation and everyone is studying the exact same lesson at the exact same time. Well, the classes might be on a different night but we are all studying Matthew 14 this week. And Yi joined the BSF in her area. Now we have even more to discuss J When I move to Holt, I’m going to try to join the one at Trinity.
I’ve wanted to know more about the Bible. I’ve wanted Christ to show me and teach me. My pastors do so much but I want to plug in to a weekly study, too. So far, this has been perfect for me. Now, they just need to start a BSF for men in the Lansing area….
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Housewife--not me!
As all of the Rivites know, we've been talking about sex at church. Seriously, if you don't go to Riverview, go listen to the podcasts. It has been awesome....and eye opening...and healing...
This past weekend Noel spoke to husbands and wives about their sex lives. He quoted from two books Joey and I have read. Can't remember what those two books are right now, though!
To the Wives:
1. Husbands need to be wanted and desired (they're insecure)
2. Choose to love him in the way he needs (have the conversation on what he needs)
3. Make Sex a priority
4. If you need help get it
To the Husbands:
1. Think clearly about sex
2. Understand how women think
3. It's not about YOU
4. Love your wife like Jesus loved the Church
5. Warm her up with foreplay (this isn't laying in bed and saying "hey, baby." Foreplay starts when sex ends and continues until the sex starts again).
6. Help around the house. Clean the house. This frees her mind to want to do it and you might get some.
7. Dont take "not tonight" personal.
As Noel discussed this, Joey leaned over to me and said, "if that's true...about the husband helping out around the house...you won't have to lift a finger when we get married."
I almost laughed out loud.
I did laugh out loud when Noel told us to bow our heads in prayer and then "Let's Get It On" started playing.
I love my church!
This past weekend Noel spoke to husbands and wives about their sex lives. He quoted from two books Joey and I have read. Can't remember what those two books are right now, though!
To the Wives:
1. Husbands need to be wanted and desired (they're insecure)
2. Choose to love him in the way he needs (have the conversation on what he needs)
3. Make Sex a priority
4. If you need help get it
To the Husbands:
1. Think clearly about sex
2. Understand how women think
3. It's not about YOU
4. Love your wife like Jesus loved the Church
5. Warm her up with foreplay (this isn't laying in bed and saying "hey, baby." Foreplay starts when sex ends and continues until the sex starts again).
6. Help around the house. Clean the house. This frees her mind to want to do it and you might get some.
7. Dont take "not tonight" personal.
As Noel discussed this, Joey leaned over to me and said, "if that's true...about the husband helping out around the house...you won't have to lift a finger when we get married."
I almost laughed out loud.
I did laugh out loud when Noel told us to bow our heads in prayer and then "Let's Get It On" started playing.
I love my church!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Know the jury is here
It's true that when I got my jury summons, I groaned. Don't we all. I even called and rescheduled it because the day fell on our company's Christmas lunch. And when my rescheduled day rolled around, I was super swamped at work. Crap.
I showed up today at the 52nd district court and felt a little put out. Just a little. Not a lot. We waited for half an hour before the clerk came in and gave us the run down. Then, we watched a crappy video and waited some more.
A judge came in and thanked us for showing up. He then went on to tell us some of the most amazing stories.
First, he talked about how most jurors just don't show at all. A few years ago, he had to hear 4 cases, 3 of them were child cases. Cases dealing with children are really sensitive. The judge speaks to the child in his chambers without his robe on to get the child comfortable. Then, he puts the robe on. They move the child into the court room, usually with the child's advocate there. They have to warm the child up and make them feel safe. All of this was done and the judge went through the stack of jurors. Only 11 had shown up.
The cases that day could not be heard because the there weren't enough jurors. The cases couldn't go to trial and three possible predators were back on the street.
This same judge went to study the judicial system in Russia. For 10 million people, there are two judges representing everyone. 10 million. 2 judges. There is no time for a formal hearing. The people come in and....they pay. The judges in Moscow asked our judge how much he charges for a rape or a drug charge. Charge? They don't have a jury. The people there don't get a choice if they want their peers to decide the outcome for them. If you have money, you aren't guilty. So who is in the prisons? The people who can't afford to pay: the poor and the mentally unstable. This judge asked to see the prison and found a third group in there: the political dissidents.
Be thankful for the jury or at least for the option. This judge said he resents it when his friends ask him what they have to do to get out of jury duty. Think of all the armed services people who have given up 2-3 years of their lives to serve us. 2 days. For most of us we serve 2 days.
Most times, people choose to have their trial heard by a jury instead of a judge or settling. But then the day comes and if there are people sitting in the jury room waiting to go, things change. Most times, they change their minds. They know the jury is here.
I didn't end up serving on a jury. I guess the people who wanted us so bad decided on their other options. Still, I think I'll look at jury duty a lot differently. Oh, and I got $12 from the county!
I showed up today at the 52nd district court and felt a little put out. Just a little. Not a lot. We waited for half an hour before the clerk came in and gave us the run down. Then, we watched a crappy video and waited some more.
A judge came in and thanked us for showing up. He then went on to tell us some of the most amazing stories.
First, he talked about how most jurors just don't show at all. A few years ago, he had to hear 4 cases, 3 of them were child cases. Cases dealing with children are really sensitive. The judge speaks to the child in his chambers without his robe on to get the child comfortable. Then, he puts the robe on. They move the child into the court room, usually with the child's advocate there. They have to warm the child up and make them feel safe. All of this was done and the judge went through the stack of jurors. Only 11 had shown up.
The cases that day could not be heard because the there weren't enough jurors. The cases couldn't go to trial and three possible predators were back on the street.
This same judge went to study the judicial system in Russia. For 10 million people, there are two judges representing everyone. 10 million. 2 judges. There is no time for a formal hearing. The people come in and....they pay. The judges in Moscow asked our judge how much he charges for a rape or a drug charge. Charge? They don't have a jury. The people there don't get a choice if they want their peers to decide the outcome for them. If you have money, you aren't guilty. So who is in the prisons? The people who can't afford to pay: the poor and the mentally unstable. This judge asked to see the prison and found a third group in there: the political dissidents.
Be thankful for the jury or at least for the option. This judge said he resents it when his friends ask him what they have to do to get out of jury duty. Think of all the armed services people who have given up 2-3 years of their lives to serve us. 2 days. For most of us we serve 2 days.
Most times, people choose to have their trial heard by a jury instead of a judge or settling. But then the day comes and if there are people sitting in the jury room waiting to go, things change. Most times, they change their minds. They know the jury is here.
I didn't end up serving on a jury. I guess the people who wanted us so bad decided on their other options. Still, I think I'll look at jury duty a lot differently. Oh, and I got $12 from the county!
Monday, January 07, 2008
New Year, Same Crap
I had a thought the other morning while in the shower.
People don't have to stop. They don't need to stop doing drugs, getting drunk, having premarital sex, listening to rap, watching porn, committing adultery, blowing their money on new clothes, etc. etc. They don't need to stop. They only need to bring themselves into a place where they can heal. Don't wait to fix yourself. Don't try to reinvent yourself. Just walk through those doors of that local church and find out for yourself. If we didn't try to fix ourselves, we would find complete peace, healing, People feel like they don't want to give up the things they love in order to become a Christian. The crazy thing is that you gain your life back.
People don't have to stop. They don't need to stop doing drugs, getting drunk, having premarital sex, listening to rap, watching porn, committing adultery, blowing their money on new clothes, etc. etc. They don't need to stop. They only need to bring themselves into a place where they can heal. Don't wait to fix yourself. Don't try to reinvent yourself. Just walk through those doors of that local church and find out for yourself. If we didn't try to fix ourselves, we would find complete peace, healing, People feel like they don't want to give up the things they love in order to become a Christian. The crazy thing is that you gain your life back.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Have You Seen Me?
My company is really an awesome place to work…at least for me. I don’t have any complaints. Well, sometimes I do but overall, I’m blessed to work here. After 5 years, there has been a lot of change but this company has kept me through the good and bad. Even when they probably should have fired me, they haven’t. They have forgiven the mistakes I’ve made and rewarded me plenty. I do like it here.
Last year, my company bought another company which distributes the Shopwise ads to your mailbox every week. These are the pizza coupons, Rite Aid and Value City ads with the missing child picture on the back (Have You Seen Me?). I work on the Valassis insert (FSI-Free Standing Insert) in the Sunday paper. We do not have the missing child on our insert but we do have a Valassis banner on the front page.
This Sunday, we are unveiling two new items in our weekly ad:
1.) The Valassis FSI and Shopwise banners are no more. We are officially introducing Redplum. Go to the website for some sweet deals.
2.) Our Sunday FSI will be running a picture of a missing child on the back page.
I’ve got to tell you how amazing the missing child program has been. Here are a few stories we heard from Vince Giuliano, the man in charge of the program in our company:
1.) This program started after Adam Walsh was abducted. The people at Advo (the company Valassis bought last year) were so moved by his disappearance, they jumped over multiple hurdles to get pictures of kids on the back of the Shopwise weekly ad.
2.) The first girl ever featured on the Shopwise ad was never recovered. Every few years, we run her picture again.
3.) The ads have helped recover 146…make that 147 kids
4.) Most people who ID the kids are kids themselves because they are the ones getting the mail. Also, the kids recognize missing kids in their classroom.
5.) One kid identified himself by a baby picture. He never knew he had been taken.
We have been gearing up for these two huge launches for several months now. A member of the missing child department came to talk to us about the challenges of running a child’s picture on the back of our ad. There are certain ads we can’t run with the missing child’s picture. The size of our ads was also reduced on the back. It has been challenging for us but what this guy said during the meeting made most in the room tear up.
“When we find that first child…and I mean WHEN we find him, we will have a huge party.”
The party meant nothing to me. The part about finding this little boy lifted my heart, gave my efforts here more purpose. People kind of laugh when they find out I print coupons for a living but now it is so much more than that.
In the November 25, 2007 Shopwise inserts, we ran this picture:
I actually kept this ad with me and brought it to work. Was it so I could look for the child? Well, no. It was the Omaha Steaks ad just above the missing child photo. I was thinking about ordering from Omaha Steaks for Christmas. A few weeks later, we received this communication about the boy in the above photo:
A young man in North Carolina is no longer missing and is surely facing an entirely different holiday than the one he imagined just a few days ago. His life was changed when a friend’s father knocked on the door and showed him two photos on the back of a piece of mail. “Is this you, son?” asked his friend’s dad, who happens to also be a police officer on the local force. Also at the door were the teacher from his school who had originally recognized his image in the mail, his principal, and another member of the local police force. He looked at the group and simply said, “Yes, that’s me.” He then added, “I’d like to call my mother now.”
The young man and the toddler on the pictures in the mail were five-year-old Francis Coleman and the image created by forensic artists of how he may look at age 16. Francis, now 18 and no longer known by his given name, had been missing since 1994. The age-progressed image of the teen must have been pretty accurate for his teacher to take it to her principal with the question, “Could this be…?” They agreed that it looked enough like him to call the local authorities who then made contact with the young man himself and the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children.
“A picture in a mailbox, with the technology of an age progression, was able to be placed in the hands of a teacher, who took a moment to look, made a heroic call to the National Center, and ended the nightmare of a searching parent. This amazing recovery of a boy missing for more than 13 years is proof of the power of our program to span the barriers of time and distance.” said Vince Giuliano, SVP Government Relations and founder of the America’s Looking for Its Missing Children® Program.
Francis Coleman is the 147th child to be safely recovered as a direct result of our America’s Looking for Its Missing Children® Program. On behalf of Valassis and our program partners, NCMEC and the USPS, we offer congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in Francis’s safe recovery including Firestone, the sponsor of his age-progressed photo. We would like to offer special thanks to all associates of the Durham printing facility for printing the wrap resulting in this recovery. Last but not least, please join us in special congratulations to all associates of the Atlanta branch, our official branch of recovery.
So, take a look this Sunday at the RedPlum insert and please take a good look at Jonah, too. He might be closer than you think and his family is looking for him.
Last year, my company bought another company which distributes the Shopwise ads to your mailbox every week. These are the pizza coupons, Rite Aid and Value City ads with the missing child picture on the back (Have You Seen Me?). I work on the Valassis insert (FSI-Free Standing Insert) in the Sunday paper. We do not have the missing child on our insert but we do have a Valassis banner on the front page.
This Sunday, we are unveiling two new items in our weekly ad:
1.) The Valassis FSI and Shopwise banners are no more. We are officially introducing Redplum. Go to the website for some sweet deals.
2.) Our Sunday FSI will be running a picture of a missing child on the back page.
I’ve got to tell you how amazing the missing child program has been. Here are a few stories we heard from Vince Giuliano, the man in charge of the program in our company:
1.) This program started after Adam Walsh was abducted. The people at Advo (the company Valassis bought last year) were so moved by his disappearance, they jumped over multiple hurdles to get pictures of kids on the back of the Shopwise weekly ad.
2.) The first girl ever featured on the Shopwise ad was never recovered. Every few years, we run her picture again.
3.) The ads have helped recover 146…make that 147 kids
4.) Most people who ID the kids are kids themselves because they are the ones getting the mail. Also, the kids recognize missing kids in their classroom.
5.) One kid identified himself by a baby picture. He never knew he had been taken.
We have been gearing up for these two huge launches for several months now. A member of the missing child department came to talk to us about the challenges of running a child’s picture on the back of our ad. There are certain ads we can’t run with the missing child’s picture. The size of our ads was also reduced on the back. It has been challenging for us but what this guy said during the meeting made most in the room tear up.
“When we find that first child…and I mean WHEN we find him, we will have a huge party.”
The party meant nothing to me. The part about finding this little boy lifted my heart, gave my efforts here more purpose. People kind of laugh when they find out I print coupons for a living but now it is so much more than that.
In the November 25, 2007 Shopwise inserts, we ran this picture:
I actually kept this ad with me and brought it to work. Was it so I could look for the child? Well, no. It was the Omaha Steaks ad just above the missing child photo. I was thinking about ordering from Omaha Steaks for Christmas. A few weeks later, we received this communication about the boy in the above photo:
A young man in North Carolina is no longer missing and is surely facing an entirely different holiday than the one he imagined just a few days ago. His life was changed when a friend’s father knocked on the door and showed him two photos on the back of a piece of mail. “Is this you, son?” asked his friend’s dad, who happens to also be a police officer on the local force. Also at the door were the teacher from his school who had originally recognized his image in the mail, his principal, and another member of the local police force. He looked at the group and simply said, “Yes, that’s me.” He then added, “I’d like to call my mother now.”
The young man and the toddler on the pictures in the mail were five-year-old Francis Coleman and the image created by forensic artists of how he may look at age 16. Francis, now 18 and no longer known by his given name, had been missing since 1994. The age-progressed image of the teen must have been pretty accurate for his teacher to take it to her principal with the question, “Could this be…?” They agreed that it looked enough like him to call the local authorities who then made contact with the young man himself and the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children.
“A picture in a mailbox, with the technology of an age progression, was able to be placed in the hands of a teacher, who took a moment to look, made a heroic call to the National Center, and ended the nightmare of a searching parent. This amazing recovery of a boy missing for more than 13 years is proof of the power of our program to span the barriers of time and distance.” said Vince Giuliano, SVP Government Relations and founder of the America’s Looking for Its Missing Children® Program.
Francis Coleman is the 147th child to be safely recovered as a direct result of our America’s Looking for Its Missing Children® Program. On behalf of Valassis and our program partners, NCMEC and the USPS, we offer congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in Francis’s safe recovery including Firestone, the sponsor of his age-progressed photo. We would like to offer special thanks to all associates of the Durham printing facility for printing the wrap resulting in this recovery. Last but not least, please join us in special congratulations to all associates of the Atlanta branch, our official branch of recovery.
So, take a look this Sunday at the RedPlum insert and please take a good look at Jonah, too. He might be closer than you think and his family is looking for him.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Grace Like Rain
"I'm not going to church today. I've been puking all night."
"Okay, Joe. I'll get you some Vernor's before church. Hang tight."
"Hey, Todd."
"Hey, Holly."
"Hey, could you save me a seat at church? Just one seat, though. Joey's sick and I need to get him some Vernor's. I'll be a little late."
"No problem. Just pulling into church now."
"Thanks."
"Here's the Vernor's."
"Moan...."
"I'm trying to be patient, lady, but I'm late for church...please just move into the other lane...thank you! I can see the 55 mph sign just ahead...I'll start accelerating now...I'm making great time! ...uh oh....cop....is....pulling me over...."
"Good morning!."
"Morning."
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
"Yes (smile)."
"Where you going?"
"Church (smile)"
"Really (chuckle)."
"Yes...Riverview."
"Okay, I'll be right back."
TEXT MESSAGE FROM TODD (WHO IS A POLICE OFFICER): Where are u?
TEXT MESSAGE BACK: Got pulled over.
TEXT FROM TODD: Cry
TEXT MESSAGE FROM MEGAN: Where are u? I thought u were coming to church?
TEXT MESSAGE BACK: Talking to a nice police officer.
TEXT FROM MEGAN: I agree with Todd. Cry.
"Oh crap. Here he comes. I wonder how much the ticket is going to cost."
"Here you go (hands back license and registration). Have a nice day."
"Uh...."
"Just slow down."
"Okay (almost crying)."
I so deserved that ticket. I knew it and was ready for it. But I didn't get the ticket. The police officer gave me grace and I thought about Christ. I walked into church 10 minutes late and found my friends. As I stood next to them, I realized we were singing "Grace Like Rain." How perfect.
"Okay, Joe. I'll get you some Vernor's before church. Hang tight."
"Hey, Todd."
"Hey, Holly."
"Hey, could you save me a seat at church? Just one seat, though. Joey's sick and I need to get him some Vernor's. I'll be a little late."
"No problem. Just pulling into church now."
"Thanks."
"Here's the Vernor's."
"Moan...."
"I'm trying to be patient, lady, but I'm late for church...please just move into the other lane...thank you! I can see the 55 mph sign just ahead...I'll start accelerating now...I'm making great time! ...uh oh....cop....is....pulling me over...."
"Good morning!."
"Morning."
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
"Yes (smile)."
"Where you going?"
"Church (smile)"
"Really (chuckle)."
"Yes...Riverview."
"Okay, I'll be right back."
TEXT MESSAGE FROM TODD (WHO IS A POLICE OFFICER): Where are u?
TEXT MESSAGE BACK: Got pulled over.
TEXT FROM TODD: Cry
TEXT MESSAGE FROM MEGAN: Where are u? I thought u were coming to church?
TEXT MESSAGE BACK: Talking to a nice police officer.
TEXT FROM MEGAN: I agree with Todd. Cry.
"Oh crap. Here he comes. I wonder how much the ticket is going to cost."
"Here you go (hands back license and registration). Have a nice day."
"Uh...."
"Just slow down."
"Okay (almost crying)."
I so deserved that ticket. I knew it and was ready for it. But I didn't get the ticket. The police officer gave me grace and I thought about Christ. I walked into church 10 minutes late and found my friends. As I stood next to them, I realized we were singing "Grace Like Rain." How perfect.
from http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/
One week ago tomorrow, I found out that someone I know committed suicide. He was a relative of one of my friends but I also knew him through the running world. He was a husband. He was a father. He killed himself and not in a pleasant way. I keep thinking about the hole he has left in so many lives. I think about his wife who now has to raise their young children alone. I get angry when I think about how selfish he was to something so horrible. I think about Jimmy and how Jimmy did it right across the street from me.
I've been through this before. Everything feels weird for awhile and then people start to heal. I pray the wife will heal. I pray the children will heal. None of them know Christ so I pray He can help them fill that void. As depressed as I felt on Christmas....I just don't get it. And as angry as I am for this guy's selfish decision, I also feel for his pain.
This, more than anything, seems to be a message from God to me about the people of Lansing. Dan Price wrote about us falling in love with the people of Lansing and caring about their salvation. I was in this guy's world as a fellow runner. I was talking to him little by little at each race. God put it on my heart to reach out to him. Of course, I see all of that in hindsight now. I see where God has placed me in His mission. I see so clearly but another one slipped away. I do not think I could have done anything to change this guy's mind about killing himself. I do not blame myself for any of it because I didn't lay out the salvation plan or something. What his death has done for me is reiterate the message: the people around me are broken hearted, numb, falling apart, tired of this life. God has placed me in a position to reach out. I am not the message, though. I just carry it.
Expectation Victim
This Christmas season was a strange one. I didn't get all happy about it. Joey and I had some great times shopping (he's my favorite shopping buddy) but there was something unfulfilled. I wasn't filled with the Christmas joy on Christmas Eve, either. I listened to Mark talk about expectations and I thought about other people's expectations. I guess mine were simple and they weren't met.
I expected to be happy when I woke up Christmas morning. I wasn't. I expected to be happy when I opened my new Zune. I was. I expected the Corr's to be loving and warm to me. They were. I expected members (or member) of my family to be just as warm and loving to my fiance. They weren't. It deflated the rest of my expectations. But there was still a glimmer of hope. I still had my dad's house to go to....and that expectation was thrown out the window when he called to say my step-mom was sick. F-ing expectations.
Joey suggested we go see a movie. We did. Guess what? It didn't really meet my expectations! So maybe I'm setting the bar too high, right? Like I expect too much, ya know. Like it is too much to ask to have people treat you the same every time they see you instead of deciding on some whim they are angry with you. Is it too much to ask for some consistency? Just a little bit?
This entry doesn't have a happy ending. Well, in a way it does. I had a little break down on Christmas night. I just felt unhappy and blah. So, I cried. And Joey was there...like I expected. And as soon as the tears were gone, I felt so much better...except for the sinus pressure which warned me of an oncoming cold. You've got to be kidding!!!!!
I expected to be happy when I woke up Christmas morning. I wasn't. I expected to be happy when I opened my new Zune. I was. I expected the Corr's to be loving and warm to me. They were. I expected members (or member) of my family to be just as warm and loving to my fiance. They weren't. It deflated the rest of my expectations. But there was still a glimmer of hope. I still had my dad's house to go to....and that expectation was thrown out the window when he called to say my step-mom was sick. F-ing expectations.
Joey suggested we go see a movie. We did. Guess what? It didn't really meet my expectations! So maybe I'm setting the bar too high, right? Like I expect too much, ya know. Like it is too much to ask to have people treat you the same every time they see you instead of deciding on some whim they are angry with you. Is it too much to ask for some consistency? Just a little bit?
This entry doesn't have a happy ending. Well, in a way it does. I had a little break down on Christmas night. I just felt unhappy and blah. So, I cried. And Joey was there...like I expected. And as soon as the tears were gone, I felt so much better...except for the sinus pressure which warned me of an oncoming cold. You've got to be kidding!!!!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
God and Movies
A month or so ago, Jun, Joey and I watched Evan Almighty (little sidenote here....on Sunday, Joey and Junior helped me out in my first grade RivKid class. Little Emmy pointed at Jun and whispered "he looks like Evan Almighty." I laughed so hard...because he does!). Morgan Freeman had such an awesome line in the movie I meant to look up and quote. Then, Noel played the clip a few weeks ago. Here it is:
God (Morgan Freeman): Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?
Then, a few weeks ago, Jun, Joey and I (wow, this is a common statement) watched Amazing Grace. Two lines from that movie were pretty awesome, too.
John Newton: God sometimes does His work with gentle drizzle, not storms. Drip. Drip. Drip.
John Newton: Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly. I'm a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.
I love those lines.
God (Morgan Freeman): Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?
Then, a few weeks ago, Jun, Joey and I (wow, this is a common statement) watched Amazing Grace. Two lines from that movie were pretty awesome, too.
John Newton: God sometimes does His work with gentle drizzle, not storms. Drip. Drip. Drip.
John Newton: Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly. I'm a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.
I love those lines.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Venting
I just thought I would warn you...
I am a bride. I am not and have not been behaving like a bridezilla even when things have not been going my way. I have shed some tears. I have felt I've been treated unfairly. I have moved on and have had amazing support. Thank you for the support.
I need support.
Please, please, please....do not remind me I'm getting married in six months. I already know and it's funny when people act like I don't know it. I do. Lay off. We'll get everything done.
YES! I KNOW I'M GETTING MARRIED IN SIX MONTHS AND STILL DON'T HAVE A WEDDING DRESS. PLEASE BACK OFF AND I MEAN THAT IN THE NICEST WAY EVEN THOUGH I'M WRITING IN CAPS.
Thank you for reading. I will return to my nice, agreeable self now.
Cheers!
I am a bride. I am not and have not been behaving like a bridezilla even when things have not been going my way. I have shed some tears. I have felt I've been treated unfairly. I have moved on and have had amazing support. Thank you for the support.
I need support.
Please, please, please....do not remind me I'm getting married in six months. I already know and it's funny when people act like I don't know it. I do. Lay off. We'll get everything done.
YES! I KNOW I'M GETTING MARRIED IN SIX MONTHS AND STILL DON'T HAVE A WEDDING DRESS. PLEASE BACK OFF AND I MEAN THAT IN THE NICEST WAY EVEN THOUGH I'M WRITING IN CAPS.
Thank you for reading. I will return to my nice, agreeable self now.
Cheers!
New and Old
New members of the family:
My cousin (the one in the middle) became a grandfather on Friday (that's crazy!) to Savannah Jayde. His son, the one on the right, is married to Katie, the one with the baby. Her brother is Eric Salisbury at Riverview. Can't wait to meet Savannah. She's like my third cousin or something.
My cousin Travis with his niece.
My cousin Sarah with her niece and....her fiance! Jeremy asked Sarah to marry him yesterday and she accepted. After she said yes, Jeremy asked her the most amazing question: will you pray with me. That part of the story made me cry because these two are so in love with Jesus and want Him to be in every part of their relationship.
Another new member! Mia Phoebe! She is Joey's first cousin. Aunt Robyn had little Mia on November 7. Kind of funny how my family is having third cousins and Joey's still getting first cousins.
With all of these new changes, I was stuck today with a sudden yearning for my grandparents. I had breakfast with my co-workers at the college cafe this morning. One of the dishes was oatmeal and it tasted exactly like the kind my grandma Louise used to make. I longed for her so badly my heart hurt. Later, we could hear some old time Christmas music and again, I missed the people who have passed away and I longed for the past. Funny how that works sometimes.
My cousin (the one in the middle) became a grandfather on Friday (that's crazy!) to Savannah Jayde. His son, the one on the right, is married to Katie, the one with the baby. Her brother is Eric Salisbury at Riverview. Can't wait to meet Savannah. She's like my third cousin or something. 
My cousin Travis with his niece.
My cousin Sarah with her niece and....her fiance! Jeremy asked Sarah to marry him yesterday and she accepted. After she said yes, Jeremy asked her the most amazing question: will you pray with me. That part of the story made me cry because these two are so in love with Jesus and want Him to be in every part of their relationship. Another new member! Mia Phoebe! She is Joey's first cousin. Aunt Robyn had little Mia on November 7. Kind of funny how my family is having third cousins and Joey's still getting first cousins.
With all of these new changes, I was stuck today with a sudden yearning for my grandparents. I had breakfast with my co-workers at the college cafe this morning. One of the dishes was oatmeal and it tasted exactly like the kind my grandma Louise used to make. I longed for her so badly my heart hurt. Later, we could hear some old time Christmas music and again, I missed the people who have passed away and I longed for the past. Funny how that works sometimes.
Thanksgiving 2007
Thanksgiving was held at Joey's house this year. My step-mom (the one in the green apron) suggested she make the turkey and we provide the house. I have to say, it worked out well, even if there were one or two people dearly missed. 
I love this picture of Joey's parents, my step-mom, nephew, Gram and sister at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
I love this picture, too of my parents talking and my niece. She leaned in and looked interested because she saw me taking the photo. What an actress.
My mother
My father and I
My nephew and his can of Cranberry. Joey planning out our Black Friday trip.
Putting up our sorry Christmas Tree.Yes, I do know where my Bible is, Noel...
So, the other day, I walked into my bathroom and this image struck me as so funny, I had to take a picture. In case you can't tell, that black book underneath the roll is my Bible. 
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sandy (my co-worker): I drove by the turkey farm on 5 mile this morning.
Me: Yeah....
Sandy: There weren't any turkeys outside.
Mourn for them today....eat 'em tomorrow. Yum!
Me: Yeah....
Sandy: There weren't any turkeys outside.
Mourn for them today....eat 'em tomorrow. Yum!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hiding
I remember when I was stuck in a sin pattern in my life. I avoided my Christian friends like crazy and leaned more on the people who wouldn’t tell me the truth…calling my sin a sin. Both groups of friends loved me but I knew the pre-Christians would allow me to hide. And that is what I would do….hide.
I was ashamed. I was hurting myself. I was making myself sick. The secret inside of me was literally causing me to die spiritually every day. Physically, it was killing me, too because I couldn’t sleep or eat.
I have a friend who is addicted to drugs. When I don’t hear from her, I know she’s doing them or she’s doing stuff she doesn’t want me to know about. She hides from me. She hides from everyone. I haven’t heard from her since September. I know things must be bad. Really bad.
I have other friends, too, who hide stuff from me because they don’t want me to know. What does that say about me? Are they expecting a lecture? Are they expecting a judgment call?
Noel’s teaching this weekend really blew me away. A lot of it I was taught in Route 66 but the fresh new way Noel presented the story was amazing.
We have all been hiding since the garden.
God gave Adam and Eve one boundary. Just ONE boundary.
Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Temptation is a daily thing for me. Whether I’m tempted to lie my way out of a situation, gossip about someone, buy something I shouldn’t, choose to be angry about something I can’t control…I know I’m tempted. We all have those weaknesses.
Eve was tempted by the serpent to be like God.
Genesis 3:1 He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
We all know the right course of action. Even Eve knew it.
Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
I had learned in Route 66 about this response Eve gave. She added to the boundary. God never said she couldn’t touch the fruit. Maybe she thought if she touched it, she would want to eat it. Kind of like people addicted to internet porn who know that even having a computer in the house is too much of a temptation. But maybe not because Eve didn’t even know what sin was. She just wanted to please the Lord.
Eve listened as the serpent lied to her, convincing her to eat the fruit. Apparently, she not only had never touched fruit from this tree but she had never even looked at the tree before. Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
Then, her husband ate some.
They felt shame immediately and what did they do?
Genesis 3:8 “…they hid from the LORD God…”
Things haven't changed much, have they?
And what did God do? He looked for them, called out to them.
Genesis 3:9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
God knew where they were but He wanted Adam and Eve to come forward, admit their sin, stand ready for the consequence and then continue to be loved by Him. Before He gave the woman her eternal punishment, He offered her redemption. I love this!
Genesis 3: 15
And I will put enmity
between you [the serpent] and the woman,
and between your offspring [a] and hers;
he will crush [b] your head,
and you will strike his heel."
Serpent’s offspring? Satan (the serpent was Satan)
Eve’s offspring? Jesus.
The Lord still wasn’t finished. Eve and Adam ate from trees. They did not animals. There was no death before sin, either. Everyone was happy, innocent and sin-free. But when these two sinned and felt shame in their nakedness, the Lord killed an animal to make clothes for them. As Noel said, “this is one of the biggest forshadowings of all time.”
Blood was shed to cover their sin. This, again, points to Jesus. I love it.
I remember when I came out of hiding from my sin. I confessed it to three Christians and there was pain in my words. There was some pain in their responses. But the pain wasn’t exactly their disappointment in me. The pain came from my pain. I hurt = they hurt. Every single one of these people prayed with me over the phone. Every one of them encouraged me to stop the sin but were grateful for my admission. Every one of them gave me hope. The weight was gone. I could eat again. I felt free again. I could sing again.
My friend Marlene always used to say, “secrets don’t make friends.” No, they don’t. Some secrets can destroy. And I just wonder how people get through this life without Christ. God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins. God clothed us with Christ. Are you out in this world with a secret sin? Are you shivering, cold, alone? Turn away from that sin and clothe yourself with Christ.
I like this cartoon from Noel’s website. It really does reflect what our reaction should be when someone admits sin to us. I’ve learned though personal experience but I need to be reminded every day.
I was ashamed. I was hurting myself. I was making myself sick. The secret inside of me was literally causing me to die spiritually every day. Physically, it was killing me, too because I couldn’t sleep or eat.
I have a friend who is addicted to drugs. When I don’t hear from her, I know she’s doing them or she’s doing stuff she doesn’t want me to know about. She hides from me. She hides from everyone. I haven’t heard from her since September. I know things must be bad. Really bad.
I have other friends, too, who hide stuff from me because they don’t want me to know. What does that say about me? Are they expecting a lecture? Are they expecting a judgment call?
Noel’s teaching this weekend really blew me away. A lot of it I was taught in Route 66 but the fresh new way Noel presented the story was amazing.
We have all been hiding since the garden.
God gave Adam and Eve one boundary. Just ONE boundary.
Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Temptation is a daily thing for me. Whether I’m tempted to lie my way out of a situation, gossip about someone, buy something I shouldn’t, choose to be angry about something I can’t control…I know I’m tempted. We all have those weaknesses.
Eve was tempted by the serpent to be like God.
Genesis 3:1 He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
We all know the right course of action. Even Eve knew it.
Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
I had learned in Route 66 about this response Eve gave. She added to the boundary. God never said she couldn’t touch the fruit. Maybe she thought if she touched it, she would want to eat it. Kind of like people addicted to internet porn who know that even having a computer in the house is too much of a temptation. But maybe not because Eve didn’t even know what sin was. She just wanted to please the Lord.
Eve listened as the serpent lied to her, convincing her to eat the fruit. Apparently, she not only had never touched fruit from this tree but she had never even looked at the tree before. Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
Then, her husband ate some.
They felt shame immediately and what did they do?
Genesis 3:8 “…they hid from the LORD God…”
Things haven't changed much, have they?
And what did God do? He looked for them, called out to them.
Genesis 3:9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
God knew where they were but He wanted Adam and Eve to come forward, admit their sin, stand ready for the consequence and then continue to be loved by Him. Before He gave the woman her eternal punishment, He offered her redemption. I love this!
Genesis 3: 15
And I will put enmity
between you [the serpent] and the woman,
and between your offspring [a] and hers;
he will crush [b] your head,
and you will strike his heel."
Serpent’s offspring? Satan (the serpent was Satan)
Eve’s offspring? Jesus.
The Lord still wasn’t finished. Eve and Adam ate from trees. They did not animals. There was no death before sin, either. Everyone was happy, innocent and sin-free. But when these two sinned and felt shame in their nakedness, the Lord killed an animal to make clothes for them. As Noel said, “this is one of the biggest forshadowings of all time.”
Blood was shed to cover their sin. This, again, points to Jesus. I love it.
I remember when I came out of hiding from my sin. I confessed it to three Christians and there was pain in my words. There was some pain in their responses. But the pain wasn’t exactly their disappointment in me. The pain came from my pain. I hurt = they hurt. Every single one of these people prayed with me over the phone. Every one of them encouraged me to stop the sin but were grateful for my admission. Every one of them gave me hope. The weight was gone. I could eat again. I felt free again. I could sing again.
My friend Marlene always used to say, “secrets don’t make friends.” No, they don’t. Some secrets can destroy. And I just wonder how people get through this life without Christ. God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins. God clothed us with Christ. Are you out in this world with a secret sin? Are you shivering, cold, alone? Turn away from that sin and clothe yourself with Christ.
I like this cartoon from Noel’s website. It really does reflect what our reaction should be when someone admits sin to us. I’ve learned though personal experience but I need to be reminded every day.
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