"The Economy of Comfort"

These are my notes from Rob's sermon at Apex. A very timely sermon. We had just been talking to a friend before service who has been unemployed since Sept.and is struggling with his mortgage.
I've had several friends who are looking for jobs,struggling with bills,and are dealing with life's struggles in general this week. This isn't an easy time. I see it at work with loss of insurance,inability to afford medicine,patients "putting off" coming to the hospital until they are so sick that it's critical. I see it in my own life. The auto industry is in the tank and so is trading stocks which is Darrell's lines of work so we just go day to day.

John 14:1-14

Stress with the economy is coming into the counseling areas in churches.
How do we deal when there is a "downturn" in our lives?
Sometimes in life "colors aren't blending well"
The disciples were at a point in their ministry where their hearts were troubled.
We are to react differently than the world.
We are "hit by the same fist" but we need to get up differently.

For Christ Followers, Economic uncertainty cannot change:

1. Our ultimate destination.
"Believe in me" Jesus has prepared a place for us. It's personal. He comes back for us.

2. Our ultimate answer to life's ultimate questions.
God is sovereignly working
Jesus is THE way, THE truth, THE life.
The disciples are journeying people. So are we. We are born into the wilderness and are trying to find our way.
There are lots of truths. The truth of God's word needs to be exclusive.
He is the life.

3. Our ultimate authority.
When you go through pain, uncomfortable issues, stress, that ends up becoming your authority if that's where you put your focus.
What is the authority in your life?
"If you've seen me, you've seen God"
God is our authority

4. Our ultimate work
Spiritual work..the Holy Spirit was sent
Glorified work...to glorify God
Prayerful work.."Ask in my name"

When we're stressed out what suffers? Sharing the gospel with others
The gospel didn't become "less good news" because of the economy.
We still have a work to do...the Great Commission

Hardship is the bricks that contribute to where we are going.
We can see our need for God more.
You may see a confusing picture on one side..but on the other side is the face of Jesus.

5 yrs...no cancer :)

Five years ago I had a routine mammogram. I didn't really think too much about it when I got a call that they needed to do more films. My friend had told me that sometimes they don't get good pictures. I went for the second mammogram and when they told me I need to talk to the radiologist...I knew it wasn't "routine" anymore. They saw 2 spots that they needed to biopsy to see what they were. The very next day I had the biopsy done in the breast center. Except for the fact that you can't move and you are face down for about 45 min...it wasn't bad. The next day came the news..1 area was ductal carcinoma insitu..a precancer. One area was infiltrating lobular carcinoma insitu. Initially it was felt I would need a lumpectomy/mastectomy. My next step was to find a surgeon. Since I am a nurse and have worked at the same hospital for 20 years it wasn't hard to know who I trusted. When I went for my appt. with the surgeon..he was the first to tell me...it may not be cancer. After being told(on the phone) that I had cancer..it was a huge relief. He did an open biopsy and removed tissue the size of a golf ball. No cancer was found..thank God. For the past 5 yrs I have done yearly diagnostic mammograms..more films than normal and I can't leave until the radiologist has to read it immediately.
I have to see my surgeon for a very thorough exam 2/year. I am at a 40% higher risk to develop an invasive breast cancer. By doing these screenings and exams I am able to detect a problem early and is more likely to be treatable.
I feel blessed that I've had 5 yrs without cancer. I write this to share my experience and to educate the importance of having that yearly mammogram done whether you are a woman reading this or a man with a mother,sister,wife, or sister.
Initial mammograms are done at the age of 40 and yearly after that.

"The Echo Within" by Robert Benson

I had the privilege to review this book and participate in a "blog tour" this week.
When I first read the description of this book, I thought of my friend Adam who has been struggling with what God is calling him to do. I gave him my extra copy and I hope when he reads it, he is able to find some words of wisdom.
For me, I know that at times in my life I have struggled with whether it's my voice or God's voice that I'm hearing. I think the author explains this in a great way.

"There is within each of us an echo of the Voice of the One Who whispered us into being. We must listen for that echo and to that echo; we must listen fiercely and faithfully and fearlessly. Within the echo of the Voice that spoke us into being is the sound of our own true voice."

"The fact that the Voice that calls to us often sounds like our own is not something to be mistrusted or feared. It is a sign of how close God is to us."

Throughout the book it uses examples in the author's life where he had to wait,listen,know,live,choose,be and even dream to figure out his path in becoming a writer.
No one can tell you if you are going the right path...only you will know that. There are signs that make it a little less murky and he shares those in each of the chapters.
The author describes himself as an introvert and I think I connected to his thoughts because of that. I have a difficult time with change and I like my "ducks in a row".
The following quote describes what I feel to a T:

" Sometimes what we want is to be allowed to hunker down in the life we are living, or are hoping to live, or are constructing for ourselves. Without any upset, without any change in plans, without any of our ducks being disturbed.
But sometimes when we say yes to some new thing that seems to be calling to us from the echo within, then we may as well be prepared to head for God knows where after that. And to head there with God knows who as well."

This is a small book which can be easily read in a day but it is something that I think you will refer back to and chew on for longer.


Robert Benson has written more than a dozen books about the discovery of the sacred in the midst of our ordinary lives, including Between the Dreaming and the Coming True, Home By Another Way, and Digging In. His work has been critically acclaimed in a wide range of publications from The New York Times and USA Today to Spirituality & Health and The Benedictine Review. He is an alumnus of The Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation and was recently named a Living Spiritual Teacher by SpiritualityandPractice.com. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

To purchase this book you can go here:

"Slumdog Millionaire"

If someone had told me that I would love this movie, I would have been skeptical. My friend Bona recommended it so I gave it a little more thought. We like to go to matinees(cheaper) and it's a cold snowy day so we chose this movie. I'm glad we did. It is hands down a great movie. It gives you an insight into the poverty of India. It does so by using characters that you become attached to. When I watched the Golden Globes I had never heard of it and couldn't figure out why it was winning all the awards. Now I know why. I'll be very surprised if it doesn't win Best Picture and Best Director.

Making Room For Smelly Canyons

These are my notes from Apex. We went last night. I just like the Sat. night service. It's more laid back..there's no rush. We sang Leeland songs "Yes You Have" and " Beautiful Lord" and "Hosanna". Rob is out of town so Paul Isaacs did the message. He runs the Navigators at UD. The navigators are a group that help teach how to disciple.
They had come in to do a workshop for the weekend.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Followers of Jesus should "smell" alot like him.

A definition for the Grand Canyon..A deep impression over a long period of time that inspires many.
This can also be a definition for disciples.

Disciple..they followed rabbis . First boys learned the Torah. Girls learned Leviticus,Proverbs and Psalms. The next step..boys..learning the Old Testament and a trade. Girls..marriage.

The next level at about age 15 to 30 for boys..Following a rabbi and becoming like him. It was very difficult and many boys didn't succeed. They were picked by the rabbi.



Jesus..picked his disciples.

Disciples today..someone who's all consuming passion is to be like Jesus.
Not every Christian is a disciple.

Goals of a disciple

1. Be like the rabbi...Romans 8:29

2. To make other disciples..Matthew 28
How do you do this? You get your hands dirty. You go alongside other people. You show them love,God's word. You get involved in their life.

3. Who's a candidate?
With Jesus..they were probably freshman in high school age. John may have been only 10.

As you go about your life in whatever profession..you should be looking for those people to make disciples .

2 Rules to "Wearing the Fragrance"

1. Do so tastefully
2. Get close to people

Are you making a deep impression that is inspiring many?

Cheesy tithe video

This is cheesy but the dance moves are hilarious!

Something to make you laugh

My dad sent these to me. I told Darrell that the couple on the stools is us :^P

"Ungrateful"

These are my notes for the sermon at Apex this morning. We celebrated Valentine's Day by going to "Bride Wars" last night so we went to church this morning instead.

"This is not fair" could be the other title for this sermon.

Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah becomes angry because God is consistent with his character.
Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh because he knew Go wanted to give them mercy.

The main reasons for Jonah's anger

1. Jonah saw God's gracious nature as unjust (1-3)
He felt they needed to be taken out.
Who do you feel needs to be taken out? Al-Queida? The Talaban? Pedophiles? Other races? Other countries?
Micah 7:18

God asks "Do you have a right to be angry?
What is it that makes you angry?
Are there patterns?
Do you have a right to be angry?

Jonah builds a booth out of anger (4-5)
He still holds hope that God will wipe out Nineveh and he want a "front seat on the bleachers"
Has that happened to you?
Someone who has hurt you and you want to see them suffer? fail? go down?
The booth is built out of anger.

Jonah saw himself as the bottleneck of God's grace
The gospel is viral by nature
We are to be a light to all nations...serve one another
Jonah was to be a conduit not a bottleneck

Jonah saw God's goodness as extravagant for others, but small for himself
When Jonah fled, God could have struck him down but he was merciful.
Jonah felt the grace for others was better than what he got.
Luke 15: The Prodigal Son

Jonah lost sight of God's mission in the midst of trivial concerns
Getting angry at petty things takes your focus off the gospel
Today...What people wear..the style of worship divides churches when people are going to Hell forever.
"Angry church people"
Everybody else is always the problem. They may be on fire for the Lord and then something doesn't work out. They go into a funk. Their attitude stinks. They've built a booth around their lives.

God comes to Jonah's booth.
Do you have pity for the sinner of Dayton, Ohio? Are you burdened with their "lostness"?
God has placed us at the time and place ordained. We live where God has placed us. Not to make a living. He wants to do a work in the city through us. You need to get past "individualized salvation"

God caused a plant to grow over the booth. It provided shade and Jonah was happy.
Then he causes a worm to destroy the plant.
The parasitic nature of sin.

In order to pity the lostness of our city:

1. Remember the parasitic nature of sin (v.6-7)
2. See that God is working and has been for a long time (v. 8-10)
God created Nineveh. God created Dayton, Ohio
"Let mercy triumph over judgment" This should be our prayer for our city.

The cultural condition of our city flows out of the spiritual condition of it's people (v.11)

What Jonah knew about God's goodness the Ninevites did not know. He deserved judgment more than they did

Where are you in this city?
Are you sitting in a booth.believing and doing right things but your heart is not loving or sharing?

If you don't have a burden for this city then ask God to move you to a city where you are burdened.

Are you a Ninevite? rebellious? in sin?
Run to God

Leeland at Cedarville

We went to Cedarville last night with friends,Jim and Susan, to see Leeland again. Alot more people at this concert so we sat in the balcony. It was still great. Their drummer was in a bad 4 wheeling accident so the guy who played did so for the first time. I thought he did great. We went to Beans-n-Cream...a coffee shop in town. There was a student playing guitar and he was pretty good. Alot of students in their studying on a Friday night. They definitely make the best vanilla lattes. I would be broke and fat if I lived in Cedarville :)

" For Couples Only" by Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn

These are books 3 and 4 of the blog tour. These books actually come in a boxed set which is perfect because you can read one and then swap with your husband or wife.
I personally think that each sex needs to read both books.
In each book there are 6-7 revelations about that particular sex..male or female on the surface.

For Men Only
1. Women need to feel loved
2. Women are emotional
3. Women want security..in other words,financial security
4. She doesn't want you to fix it;she just wants you to listen
5. She doesn't want much sex; she must not want me.
6. She wants to look attractive

For Women Only
1. Men need respect
2. Men are insecure
3. Men are providers
4. Men are visual
5. Men are unromantic clods
6. Men care about appearance

They devote separate chapters to each of these points to explain. I like the fact that they did surveys so you can see how many men/women truly feel this way. They just didn't pull these points out of the air or their own experiences.
For me, the chapter on respect was a huge one. I can't tell you how many times I've jokingly said something about how long Darrell takes to fix things. It never dawned on me that he was feeling insecure or disrespected. Men won't tell you that.
The" men are visual" chapter was actually funny. I know most men are but I had no idea that if they see someone they are attracted to that they visually can see it the next day. If I say a man is handsome...Darrell always thinks that I want to see the guy without a shirt on or something. It's because he is visual. With the chapter on appearance, men don't care what the appearance is..they care if you are making an effort to make yourself attractive to him. If you walk around in sweats and dirty hair it's not saying a whole lot for your husband or for you.
When I read the book that men are supposed to read, I saw myself in many of those points. In the chapter on feeling loved: "Buried inside most women..even those in great relationships..is a latent insecurity about whether their man REALLY loves them." What a true statement.
I think that if you read these books you will get a new understanding of the other sex and even of yourself.


Author Bio:
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn hold graduate degrees from Harvard University and are popular national speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs. They are also active church members and the parents of two young children, and they enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

"I Do Again" by Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs

This is the 2nd of 4 books I am reviewing for the blog tour this week.

This book is the story of a couple who were married for 10 years and saw their marriage disintegrate. They lost their connection to each other. When I read this part of their story, it reminded me of conversations I have had with friends. The thing I like about this book is how it gives you their story from beginning to end with both viewpoints. Cheryl talks about her feelings which I'm sure many women relate to. Getting married,having children, and going through the motions of marriage. She feels a loss of intimacy and connection to her husband.
She has an affair and her oblivious husband has his whole world fall apart around him. He talks about missing the signs. Because they have already been through the healing and reconciliation process, they are able to look back and honestly admit their mistakes. Both of them contributed to the destruction of their marriage.
They were divorced for 7 years and through a very slow process of trust and Christ in their lives, they found love with each other again and remarried. They use their experience to minister to other couples who are going through similar situations.
I like the honesty of this book. They don't try to paint a fairy tale "happy ever after" ending.
Marriage is hard. It takes work on a daily basis. Time and communication and compromise with each other are the key.
This book is for all ages..those just starting in marriage as well as those who may be married for 30 years and struggling.


Author Bio:
Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs are the founders of Hope Matters Marriage Ministries, and for the past several years they have shared their incredible story of a marriage restored with audiences across the nation. Jeff is an account manager with OshKosh B’Gosh, and Cheryl has served as director of the Frisco, Texas, office of the Center for Christian Counseling. They live in Dallas, Texas with their two college-age daughters.

Happy Birthday Darell...#49!

Today is Darrell's birthday!
Here are some things you may or may not know about him

1. He became a Christ follower at age 36 but has the maturity of someone 96. There are people who say they would give you the shirt off their back...he honestly would.

2. He LOVES coffee...DLM Boston Stoker is probably his favorite but he drinks anything..even Apex coffee. haha

3. He sells cars but would rather be a daytrader or a painter. He recently painted 2 nurseries ..Jason and Rachel Wing and Chris and Carrie Brown..he loves doing that.

4. He LOVES music..any kind..maybe not hip hop so much though :) He loves guitar players i.e. Derek Trucks,Ray LaMontagne, and Johnny Lang. He loves concerts. He loves to make up words to songs that are popular.

5. He met his wife(me) on a blind date arranged by his sister who is also a nurse. Our first date was Elsa's. Our 2nd date..Hank Williams Jr. concert at Hara Arena. I am not a country music fan at all so this was interesting to say the least. I got to see 2 girls get into a brawl.

6. His favorite dessert is ice cream(Haagan Daas chocolate and pnut butter) and chocolate pudding.

7. He would love to sell our house and live in one of the loft apartments about The Greene(outdoor shopping area) "after the dog dies"..he always has to add that.

8. He loves Chipotle and would eat there everyday. I had to break the bad news that chicken burritos with his stuffings are over 1000 calories.

9. He hates to exercise.

10. If he could drive any car it would be a Subaru Outback.

"The Love As A Way of Life" by Gary Chapman and Elisa Stanford

I'm reviewing 4 separate books this week on love,marriage,relationships for a blog tour.
I don't usually buy these types of books so I thought it would be a change when they asked me to review them. I also thought it was very timely what with Valentine's Day and Darrell's birthday.

My first one is this "The Love As A Way Of Life" Devotional

I find devotionals helpful in quiet time. They are a quick way to get your focus on God.
I like this one because it takes different subjects such as humility,patience,kindness,etc. and groups them together.
Each day starts with a scripture verse. It then follows with a very short story that is relevant. Each one ends with a prayer or a thought.
It's a 90 day book but you can use it in a variety of ways. It's not date oriented which I like. It's a very simple way to daily remind yourself about love whether it's first thing in the morning or the last thing at night.



Book: Love as a Way of Life Devotional
Author: Dr. Gary Chapman
Summary: In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.
Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God’s lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.
The Love As a Way of Life Devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.

Change

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex this weekend.
Kristen and Christy were with us this weekend so we decided to celebrate Darrell's birthday a little early by eating at Rusty Bucket last night and going to church this morning.
It's nice to go on Sun AM sometimes just because that's when most of our house church goes so we can touch base with them.
It's always nice to have Kristen at church singing her heart out next to me.
We started with one of Phil's songs from his new CD,"I Am" and "None But Jesus" by Brooke Fraser.
We also sang "Give Us Clean Hands" and "From the Inside Out" .
Rob also started the service giving kudos to those in the Military. He is close to someone at Apex who is being transferred from WPAFB.

We have spent the last few weeks talking about Jonah. He is running and drowning.
Now it's time to listen to God.
He travels 500 miles to Nineveh.

Combination of God's word and chastisement

1 Enables us to hear to word of God differently. When you are full of yourself you won't hear God's word rightly. It's not a matter of your intelligence. It's a matter of your motive. You don't feel it applies to you. God unplugs the ears of our heart.

2 Creates a courageous obedience. Nineveh was a rival city of Israel. It was surrounded by walls which were 50 ft. wide, 100 ft. high and 8 miles circumference.
It was an evil city.
The walls of this city don't come close to some of our own walls.
You've made a a choice and started erecting walls. Verbally you say one can have access to my life..that's a lie.
God can still do a work with courageous obedience even with the walls erected.
We are supposed to making disciples. We can become healed in making disciples.
The world may see us as fools.

3.Involves us in God's unfolding redemptive story. You don't see Nineveh turning on Jonah. They repent which leads to mass cultural change. God was already working in Nineveh. Our obedience does not start God's work.
Our obedience is getting involved in the work that God has already started.
There is no such thing as "closed cultures" God initiates and we obey.
Your life depends on your involvement and participating in the obedience.
God never takes a nap on redeeming humanity for his glory.

The king repents

Attributes of repentance

1 Get off your throne. If you go through the motions only no change will happen.
2 Remove areas of your rulership. Crucifying your sin.
3 Put on humility. Sackcloth
Christ put on skin,
Don't put people "at arm's distance"
4 Mourn over sin.
What was the last thing you were cut to the heart about?
Do you have a judgmental attitude. Do you spew cruel words?
5 Calls others to repentance
Leads to deep cultural change
Righteous change only happens through the gospels of Jesus Christ. It's not through "methodologies" ie house church,cell group,seeker sensitive
We are fellow repenters.
Many times when we share with nonbelievers, we have amnesia that we were in Egypt. We were dead.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
When there is repentance, it turns away His wrath. God is a gracious God.
Feeling bad about sin isn't repentance..change is repentance.

How do you measure a year?

Last night while I was waiting for Kristen to get home and Darrell was painting Chris and Carrie's nursery, I watched the Broadway version of Rent with this cast. They were the last cast to perform on Broadway.
I've always loved "Seasons of Love". The words are very impacting. A year in your life.
Many things can happen in a year. Good and bad. I tend to be a person who connects to dates. Today is the day my grandmother died 11 yrs ago. I was talking to my friend who's husband left her a year ago this week. A year ago Darrell was still working at home. I've had friends move out of my life and into my life. 5 years ago this month I was told I had breast cancer...and that it was gone.
Listen to the words of the song. Measure your life in love. How many people do you love? How many people love you? That is really what matters.

I love Jesus but I like to drink a little

I don't watch Ellen but I saw this on another blog and it is the funniest thing I've listened to for awhile

Wii Fit...Does it work...Only if you use it :)

I saw this article and it honestly made me laugh because it's so true. People spend boatloads of money on exercise equipment,gym memberships, and now Wii Fit. It's a great concept for the video gamer who wants to get in shape but the truth is...they aren't putting in the effort. My coworker has a Wii Fit. She makes me laugh every time she talks about it. It groans when she gets on it and has gained weight. It asks where she's been when she hasn't used it for awhile. It even asks her husband how she is and how her posture is when she isn't using it and he is. Her demonstration of the hulu hoop made me cry I was laughing so hard. It made me want one but I know me. I would use it for a month and then it would collect dust. I have found that my free walking tape and my hand weights that I've had for years are just as good for me.
Exercise isn't fun. It takes dedication and work. It doesn't provide instant results.
Most of the time it takes weeks/months to see results.



The Truth About Wii Fit And Weight Loss
Fitness videogames might be able to keep players in shape--but not if they don't play them.

By Bonnie Ruberg, Forbes



BURLINGAME, CALIF.--Nintendo's exercise game Wii Fit is still flying off retail shelves eight months after its U.S. release last May. The all-in-one instructional tool, weight tracker and fitness coach advertises itself as a painless way for the whole family to get healthy thanks to the game's "balance board," which measures players' movement. Offering a selection of activities--from running to push-ups to yoga--Wii Fit is now in almost 1.5 million homes across the country. But is anyone actually using it?

Not really, says Brian Crecente, managing editor of the popular gaming blog Kotaku. Despite optimistic predictions that Nintendo had unleashed a new era of videogames, Crecente calls Wii Fit little more than an exercise fad that's bound to come and go like any other. "I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month," he claims, stressing that getting results from the game requires dedication and real physical exertion. "What Nintendo did is they tapped into that desire people have to be healthier... Everyone wants to work out, but nobody really wants to put the effort into it."

One of the things that's made Wii Fit so popular is the excitement Nintendo has stirred up with people who don't normally play. For Crecente, that excitement--and the let down that often comes with it--hit home. "My mom and step dad both tried Wii Fit before it came out," he says, "and like every other middle-aged American, they loved it." In fact, they loved it so much they went out and bought a Wii of their own. Months later, though, when Crecente stopped by for a visit, he didn't need to ask if they'd set foot on their balance board. Their Wii had never even been set up. So much for physical fitness.

Don't blame Nintendo for people's sloth, observers say. The company has marketed its new cash cow brilliantly, and it's not responsible for whether consumers play the game or not. Nintendo declined to comment for this article, but Wii Fit creator Shigeru Miyamoto has previously gone on record and said that the game is less about people losing weight and more about broadening the videogame market. Still, it seems a little disingenuous for Nintendo to heavily market a fitness tool that's sitting in more than a million American living rooms collecting dust.

That's not to say Wii Fit doesn't work--if you play it. Brian Ashcraft, another Kotaku editor, tried the game out faithfully for a month when it was first released in order to review it. The results: He enjoyed the yoga, and started to feel more in shape. But the novelty wore off, and Ashcraft admits he hasn't picked up the game in a long, long time.

Not everyone, however, is prepared to give up on Wii Fit. Instead of relying on anecdotal evidence, Scott Owens, a professor of exercise science at the University of Mississippi, has started a six-month study to uncover whether placing Wii Fit in a home will actually improve a family's physical fitness. By donating the game to local participants for three months at a time, then taking it away for another three months, Owens will be able to observe how the game impacts cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and balance. How often families use Wii Fit will be up to them.

Of course, the overall goal of Owens' study isn't to question Wii Fit's effectiveness--it's to provide more insight into the American obesity epidemic. Right now, Owens speculates that playing traditional videogames might be a contributing factor because it's a sedentary activity. Results of his study are expected to come out this June.

In the meantime, gamers like Crecente remain skeptical about the Wii Fit hype, predicting that this, too, will pass into fitness fad history. When a neighbor mentioned heading out to buy a Wii Fit recently, Crecente's advice was simple: Don't do it. "I have to keep reminding people," he sighs, "even though it's a videogame, it's still exercise. It might be fun a little bit, but it's work."

Bait

These are my notes from Apex this weekend.
Please keep our friend Doug in prayer. He is struggling with his depression so he didn't come with us.

Jonah 1:17 - 2:10

When you go overboard..you hold your breath..there is no sound..muffled silence..you go deeper...panic before you take that last breath.
That's how many of us feel in life.
Mistake after mistake.."Lord I feel like I'm drowning"

There is a real Jonah. It's talked about in the book of Kings and Jesus also talks about the prophet Jonah in Matthew 12. It's not just a parable.
A man being swallowed by a fish and surviving is impossible with man....not with God.
Many times God interrupts natural law.
In Jonah's prayer..many of the verses cross reference to the Psalms.
You can be a "professional drowner"

God hears Jonah when he cries out

1. God hears you in the midst of your guilt and consequences.
We tend to avoid people we are upset with us..and we do the same thing with God.
If you are drowning in your circumstances..cry out to God even if it's because of your own choices.
Psalm 107:10-22

You may be in an uncomfortable place but God is God and he may have you in the place you are in his mysterious protection.

2. God hears you in seemingly impossible situations.

3. God answers you in ways that foster loyalty and worship.
Most of the time his answers aren't comfortable. If God is all sufficient then there are times when his answer will hurt.
John Piper said "There is not an all or nothing to answered prayer"
God's answers sometimes come in stages.
A fish's belly is better than weeds in the bottom of the ocean.
God will do whatever it takes to chisel us to look like his son.
It may be a sunset..but it may be cancer.
It may be a scripture...but it may be your rebellious child.

Matthew 12..."the sign of Jonah"

Phil Wing's New CD

Last night we got Phil's new CD. It's awesome. He is truly gifted and sings from his heart. I love the last song on the CD. He wrote it for his wife and the baby they will adopt from Ethiopia. I put samples of his songs on here. If you want to order a CD go here. 100% of the proceeds go toward the adoption of their baby. You can also get a copy at Apex from Phil.