March Evangelical Intro.

Bye -Bye Winter!

After trekking through to the other side of the frosty months we’re peeking around the corner for what we know will arrive; flowers, warmth and growth.
March could justifiably be named ‘the month of optimism’ for although we wake up to all-day showers we’re satisfied.
It’s not snow.
Spring is on it’s way.
When I was going through a particularly difficult time, our own Pastor Jim walked by me and quietly said the four most comforting words I’ve ever been offered;
“This too will pass.”
Such a simple truth that sometimes seems so difficult to remember!
'This too will pass.'
March is a month of cold rain and messy mud puddles. It’s a transition month taking us from the inconveniences of ice and snow to the pleasures of fragrant breezes and budding trees. And although ‘this too shall pass’ is not a direct quote from our Bibles, it is certainly a biblical theme.
When Christ was being mocked and beaten He looked to

the greater purpose and knew, ‘these trials will pass’.
While praying at Gethsemane He was visited by an angel and
I think it’s safe to assume the angel didn’t highlight the details of the anguish Jesus was going to face but the triumph after the pain.
March is here! Winter is almost behind us and Spring is on it’s way! If you’re not a natural optimist get some practice this month. Look past the rain to the fresh breeze that follows. Skip over the puddles and be glad the ice is gone.
Allow the truth behind ‘this too will pass’ to get you to the other side of your trials and more greatly appreciate the triumphs that inevitably follow.

The Evangelical is a monthly publication of Quakertown Evangelical Church http://www.quakertownecna.com/

My Guide

I've surrendered my life to you
and faithfully await your call.
To lead me will be of great circumstance
for surely
substantial gains can be aquired
through this partnership.

Allow me to respectfully remind you of
our
arrangement.
I've lifted to you my potential
For your use.
My patience runs thinly as you tarry.
Use me, for my value to you.

You sit uselessly upon my significance
Letting it grow cold;
It's muscles beginning to atrophy.
Perhaps you need to be reminded
Of what I've allowed you to harness.

I've been a fool!
My misconceptions embarrass me.
How could I have been so misguided?
The time that can never be regained
Will no longer be wasted
On you.

February Evangelical Intro.

How odd we are as a nation! We choose February, the shortest month of the year, to be our time to honor some of the most important events of our country and lives. Alright, Groundhog day may not be that monumental but look at the strides Black History Month has taken! We’ve grown so aware, accepting, and unified as a nation, our first black president and first family have just been ushered into the White House. Black History month can take a lot of the credit for that! And what about President’s Day? The day most of us just look forward to because of the long weekend is set as a reminder of the men who have led this country to its historic placement today! Kudos to them gets crammed into this tiny little month. And of course, as the Wal-Marts and drug stores of the country will let no one forget, Valentine’s Day all but defines the month of February. The holiday of love and romance marks the middle of the fleeting collection of days we shuffle around to fill. So what’s my point? Where is the lesson we can learn from February? Don’t underestimate the value of small packages, maybe? Or how about, “Each day has it’s value unto itself”. Yeah, that’s all true, but let’s keep it tangible. Jesus wasn’t confined by months, days or years. His short life acknowledged each moment that passed as an opportunity to serve, praise or worship his God. Let this month remind you of moments. Live in them for they are as fleeting as February itself.

{The Evangelical is a monthly publication of Quakertown Evangelical Church- www.quakertownecna.com}

Poem for Mandy

For Mandy

To see beyond the sky is
beyond my skill.
The sky is my ceiling just as
the Earth is my floor.
To see beyond the sky
surpasses my skill.

To think outside my mind
is outside my reach.
My mind has it's borders just as
my body has it's point of exhaustion.
To step outside my mind
transcends my reach.

To trust beyond my faith
exceeds my abilities.
My trust can only walk within
the footsteps my faith has left behind.
There is no trust beyond my faith.

So, to see beyond my eyes
I'll use imagination.
To stretch the borders of my mind
I'll study and question.
To increase the footsteps of my faith
I'll surrender.

For, to live within this world
is not my goal.

January Evangelical Intro.

For many of us a new year marks a fresh start for bettering ourselves. Through our resolutions to cut down on our bad habits and begin or renew good routines we acknowledge that we need to be smarter with our choices. An untouched calendar gives us the guilt free opportunity to admit that we have failed in the past and to try to make the most out of the new year ahead of us. Sadly this isn’t what the Bible teaches us to do.
It does tell us to repent and we’re taught to take on good habits and routines but to wait a year to do it? That’s not Jesus’ gift to us! His gift is instant renewal in times of repentance. When we realize our shortcomings, failures and sins we’re not given a new year in which to start over! We’re given a new week, a new day and even a new breath!
Try seeing your Mondays as a way of starting fresh. Okay, if Mondays are a stretch for you, try embracing your mornings as a new beginning! Not a morning person, either? Then you might just be a ‘new breath’ type of person.
Admit your shortcomings when you see them, take a deep breath, give your failures to God and start anew.
How empowering it is to have a new breath in which to live our lives!
How awesome our God must be!

{The Evangelical is a monthly publication of Quakertown Evangelical Church- www.quakertownecna.com}

December Evangelical Intro.

Welcome to December!!!
Well, we’ve made it. Another year of memories, trials and triumphs is behind us and as far as individuals go, our ups and downs have proven to be as different as night and day. For some of us 2008 has ushered in new life in the form of another baby while others have suffered through the loss of a friend or relative. Some of us have clung to each day’s prayer for provision while others have helped provide for their neighbors. Some of us have woken bright and optimistic most mornings while some have woken with hesitancy and doubt.
As individuals we are vastly different in our daily lives. But in one respect we have found a common ground. We know each other through our love for Christ.
We each seek to grow in Him every week and we turn to each other to share in fellowship at the old church at 317 Juniper St.
On Sundays, although our individual voices can be heard and our individual strengths are applied, we are no longer individuals. We come together to worship our Father, and that reminds us that we are family members. As we usher in this season of the birth of our Lord, the greatest gift ever given, I want to thank you, the faithful congregation of Quakertown Evangelical Church for being a gift to each other this year. Thank you for lending a shoulder to cry on, providing a meal to be enjoyed, and becoming a friend to confide in.
Thank you for being a family in Christ.

{The Evangelical is a monthly publication of Quakertown Evangelical Church- www.quakertownecna.com}