$99.99 Divorce!

...so there I was, driving back to the church from an errand, when I came to a stoplight and glanced across the street at a business.
Okay, a tax service/notary public business that probably offers some walk in legal services...Light is still red so I look closer at the signs on the side of the building. Taxes, okay. Auto and Home Insurance, sure, why not...and then!??!!!
Divorces starting at $99.99! What a deal...I mean while your getting your taxes and insurance stuff, might as well throw in a divorce since you can get it all done at this place, AND since the starting price is $99.99! Not a $100 price tag, you understand, but a $99.99 sale!

...light is green, but I'm still parked there trying to get my mind around the misplaced value of what a marriage is supposed to be. It isn't that easy and it is not so simple and the damage done will be horrific and the children will absolutely suffer and the families will suffer and every future event will be tainted and your never truly divorced whether it is on paper or not and the scars will run deep and the suppressed emotions of a child will erupt in grand style later and the impact occurs spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, like ripping apart two glued pieces of cardboard (try it sometime and see what happens)...and for $99.99 you get all that?!

Our culture has de-valued a sacred institution, and if we are not careful, we will become so desensitized that we ourselves think less of marriage.

...anyway, I "gotta" move...Oh, wait a minute!...the light is red again.

Matt 19:4-6
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder .
KJV
KB

Loud Rimshot: Friends and Family Day

We will see you there with all your friends and family!!!!

"I didn't have time to hit the brakes!"

I heard the sirens as we were loading up to head to the school. I told the kids, "from the sounds of the noise, there must have been a pretty big bang up." Two minutes later we arrived at the spot of the above picture. What caught my attention right away, was the color and model of the car, and I realized it was Corinne Newton's car. Obviously, she, along with her brother and sister (Cody and Lacey), had been in some kind of accident on the way to the school/church. I felt a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and upon scanning my eyes across the whole sorry mess, I saw a crowd of folks (many of them were heading to the school as well) standing around, as the paramedics tended to the hurt, mainly Cody.
Apparently, the driver of the black car hit a parked truck and "bounced" across a turn lane, directly entering the opposite traffic lane, hitting Corine head on. You can see, by the fluid trail, the direct impact slammed Corine's car backward and then spun her around across the street, facing the opposite direction she was travelling. Why or what the other driver was doing is not known.
Thankfully, there were no major injuries, other than the girls getting banged up, and Cody...well, he was in the back seat and his collar bone took the brunt of the impact. I think his collar bone said something like, "Snap! I can handle a lot of pressure, but this is too much and I'll be out of commission for awhile!!"...it could have been much worse.

Afterward, what struck me about this mishap is that Corine noted, "I didn't have time to hit the brakes!" She saw the other car hit the truck across the street, but had no reflexive time to prepare when the same car appeared in her lane. Too many times we put off today what we think we can do tomorrow, when there is no guarantee of a tomorrow. Have you heard the words, "I know I need to get right with God...I just have some things I need to get straight." Lame...and we all have been sucked into thinking that somehow we have the ability to control the future.

James 4:14-15
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
KJV
KB

Loud/Soft Rimshot Announcement

A rimshot is the sound produced by hitting the rim and the head of a drum at once, with a drum stick. Rimshots are usually played to produce a more accented note, and are typically played loudly. However, soft rim shots are possible.

So for the Loud: Don't forget Friends and Family Day, Sept, 28.

...and the soft: We are still updating the website, and as you have probably noticed, the site is a hybrid of a regular informational site and blog site. This makes it easier to post events/devotionals/church happenings/etc., AND maintain church information. We purposely chose this route, although it is different from the "norm", in an effort to keep the site informational and fresh.

The Dentist...and Bonsai trees

...so there I was, sitting in the dentist chair, looking at a picture I've looked at many times, when like a shaft of light...I realized what I was seeing!

Lately, I've been teaching, pondering, and thinking about spiritual development, correlating it to Bonsai horticulture. A Bonsai tree is purposely stunted (small pots, trim the roots, starve it of water, manipulate its branches, protect it from hardship, etc.), in order to create a "poser" tree. It might look real, but in fact it is just a small (14-18 inches tall), stunted replica of the real tree.

I told the dental assistant (whose husband is the dentist) that I recognized the tree as being bonsai. With a surprised look on her face, she told me that only one other person since 1982 has ever duly noted the fact, although many people have suggested that they visited the location of the tree! To do that, one would have had to visit the studio where the photographer took close up shots of the bonsai tree...far, far, far, away from any "real" location.

God never called us to be bonsai. As a matter of fact, he detests the facade that is so little on substance.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in grace , and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
KJV
KB

If the Power is off, does Church stop????

...Last Sunday the power did go off. The adult chorale was about to sing...Mark McAlister was moving from the organ to the piano, when...Boom-lights out! The emergency lights came on but provided little light. What a quandary. What do you do? How long do you wait? Pastor got up and filled space for a bit and then challenged the singers to sing acappella. Then people started seeking the Lord if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each and every one...and wow, did they ever find Him!

God's presence moved in waves, and it reminded me of the worship of the Old Testament with people shouting and praising, with horns blowing. Jeremy Brock began moving around the congregation blowing the trombone...for 30-40 minutes this continued...I can't remember ever being in a service like that.

Then, the power came back on. We shut it all back off and continued to bask in His presence. Evidently, God wanted to send us a message that much is given to help us in our worship to Him, but when stripped of all those things, He still moves powerfully.

...don't know why the power went off...don't care. My family, and many others, will never, never, never, forget "the night the power went off when Mark McAlister was moving from the organ to the piano."
Isa 6:1
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
KJV
KB

SMART Trip!

This past weekend, SMART took a trip to the beach for some dining, shopping, and beach volleyball. 60+ signed up, but then started dropping like flies in a fog of Raid (work, emergencies, etc.). However, 25 of us headed for beautiful weather. You decide who won the 3 hour volleyball marathon (hint: look for the guy in ropers and wranglers).
Some just wanted to read...and how cool it was to be with Tracy (on the left with her husband Quincy), who had never seen the ocean before. Great Times. KB

The "Singing Friends and Family Day Disciple?"

The Title might be a little misleading, but we want to announce our annual "Friends and Family Day", on the 28 of this month. Last year we had a great time of worship and activities, and we are excited about this year! We will be serving a free lunch after the morning service, followed by activities planned in the park (located on the property). It is sure to be a great day!


The gentlemen(affectionately called the "singing disciple") in the middle of the two young men (thanks Chad and Randy), deserves a shout out, mainly because of the things he does that no one really knows about. What does he do? He faithfully and attentively, takes care of the tithing and tract information center, and stocks the Kleenex boxes in the altar area. He takes this seriously, and has done so for years.

What's the point? He has found something to do in the Kingdom, and though no one mentions his name...it's not a job that receives much attention...etc., what he does really matters. He is representative of many at GBFPC that find something to do, and simply do it. Wow! That is awesome...makes me feel good to bring attention to all who do such things, though attention from me or anyone else is not what they seek...they are dialed in to the King's ministry.


Rom 12:3-5
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
KJV

KB