Being at Stockton was off the Hook. And I almost didn't go last weekend because it was so last minute. But thanks to God giving me Peace and Joel encouraging me to go, I went. Yeah it took 6 hours but it didnt' seem that long on the way there.
I was able to stay with my closest friend Toni. Who has four wonderful fun Teens. Well 3 are teens the youngest is almost a teen. Yikes. Go Toni.
But Church, that is where I got my PRAISE ON. Oh I was so refreshed. I got my Praise on like no other. I hadn't got my praise on like that in a long time. I Praise God So hard that by the second service, after the second praise and worship with singing, I stank. I mean I was so sweety. I was a mess and I could smell myself. I felt bad for the people around me. My shirt I wore was drenched in sweet and I drank most of my water bottle by first service. It was that good. I can't wait to go back and I can't wait to move there some day.
The message was awesome. I love Pastor Rufus's Preaching. The message was "The Crowd" There was two parts. One you can be outside the crowd and they can try to contol you. The example was the blind begger yelling to Jesus but their was a loud crowd making noise around Jesus. And the begger yelled, "Jesus son of God have mercy on me." But the crowd hushed him, telling him to be quiet. SO what did the begger do he yelled louder and again. Jesus son of God have mercy on me. So when Jesus healed the begger the man got up and started following Jesus and priasing God. So what did the crowd do, they stopped making noise and started praise God. So to learn from that. The crowd can be your friend or foe. And if you don't do what the crowd wants you to do they will try to control the situation.
Second crowd example is that the crowd can blind you and keep you from seeing what is around you. Like when zechias (spell?) was trying to get to Jesus but he was short and their was a crowd around Jesus. So zechias climb the tree and called out to Jesus and in the end after zechias talked with Jesus and said he would do right Jesus said "Salvation has come to your house now I am going to go to your house and dine with you" Well the crowd didn't like that and said "That is a sinner Jesus is going to eat with"
SO Pastor Rufus put us in Jesus's shoes. That the crowd was blinding Jesus from zechias. And that as christians our "christian" clique can blind us from those that are not saved and need God. And some times we have to pull away from the crowd to reach out to the unsaved because we are way to comfortable in our christian "clique"
It was good and it ministered to me. I needed that message. I realized even more that I let the crowd control some of my actions when instead I need to step out and do what I feel the Holy Spirit is leading me to do.
So Church was awesome I didn't want to leave. And I pretty muched cried the entire time I was in church because I was so happy to be there. Praise God he gave me a chance to visit.
Well that is all. Love ya'll
Be Blessed and Don't Follow or be blinded by the Crowd!!!!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Home Alone
Hi Everyboby,
Well, i'm writing for a change. I'm writing mostly because Dess is out of town for the weekend and i'm bored. I've been playing my computer game for hours on end, and now i need to do something more productive, like write on the blog.
First off, i want to mention the fact that no one has commented to Dess' latest posts. We need some feedback and input from you guys to help us know that writing on this blog is worthwhile. So we appreciate any sort of encouragement to write that we get.
Like i said, Dess is gone for the weekend. She left for Stockton, CA on Saturday morning. It was last minute but planned at the same time. She had been trying to get to Stockton for the past couple of months but stuff kept coming up. Then this weekend she had hoped to go but we found out short notice that we were having some visitors to the warehouse. So the visitors postponed on Friday evening saying they would come later in the week and Dess decided she would go to Stockton. She may write and post some pictures about it when she gets back.
I haven't been doing a lot. I bought some cheap old roller blades from Salvation Army last weekend, so i've turned the 3rd floor into a roller rink. I've got a decent sized oval track that i can do laps. I even take Dynamite with me and he follows along, biting at a piece of rope i drag behind me. It's a good work out for him and it's fun for me.
Dess mentioned about how things have been tough. It's been an emotional fatiguing time for us. I've been numb to the world around me lately and i need to get back in tune with things.
I don't really have much to write about right now, so i'll sign off.
joel
Well, i'm writing for a change. I'm writing mostly because Dess is out of town for the weekend and i'm bored. I've been playing my computer game for hours on end, and now i need to do something more productive, like write on the blog.
First off, i want to mention the fact that no one has commented to Dess' latest posts. We need some feedback and input from you guys to help us know that writing on this blog is worthwhile. So we appreciate any sort of encouragement to write that we get.
Like i said, Dess is gone for the weekend. She left for Stockton, CA on Saturday morning. It was last minute but planned at the same time. She had been trying to get to Stockton for the past couple of months but stuff kept coming up. Then this weekend she had hoped to go but we found out short notice that we were having some visitors to the warehouse. So the visitors postponed on Friday evening saying they would come later in the week and Dess decided she would go to Stockton. She may write and post some pictures about it when she gets back.
I haven't been doing a lot. I bought some cheap old roller blades from Salvation Army last weekend, so i've turned the 3rd floor into a roller rink. I've got a decent sized oval track that i can do laps. I even take Dynamite with me and he follows along, biting at a piece of rope i drag behind me. It's a good work out for him and it's fun for me.
Dess mentioned about how things have been tough. It's been an emotional fatiguing time for us. I've been numb to the world around me lately and i need to get back in tune with things.
I don't really have much to write about right now, so i'll sign off.
joel
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Check out our Flickr site!!!!
Hey AlSO!!! Check out our flickr site. www.flickr.com/photos/butlerboy
Joel just put some new photos up. SO Check them out!!!
Joel just put some new photos up. SO Check them out!!!
Pure Gold for Jesus!!!
The saying is true that you should be careful what you ask/hope/pray for you might just get it. (in my case I prayed and got what I wanted but not in the way I thought it would come)
So God has seemed very distant lately. I blamed myself mostly. I mean there is only two things that can keep us at a distant with God.
1) Ourselves. We can get distracted, our thoughts can be so horrible it can keep us from the presense of God, our actions, so you get the point
2) Then there is God. Some times or as Kippin likes to say some "Seasons" God will draw back from us to grow. Kind of like when you are learning how to ride a bike. My Dad would hold the bike while I was peddling and at one point he let go so I could learn on my own how to ride the thing. I freaked out and nearly wrecked when I found out he wasn't holding my bike any longer. Some times God will let Go so that we can walk out whatever the thing is in our lives to grow more.
Well lately I have been crying out for more of My heavenly Father. He has just felt so far away. So dry. Even when I worship with music I don't feel his presense.
My First reaction is to blame myself and I would say for the most part it has been my (Dad butler saying) "Stinkin THINKIN" I have been moody with my thoughts and complaining. Goodness. I am like the Israelites in the desert. Complain complain complain. As Joyce Meyer's would say. Complain and Remain. Praise and Be Raised. SO true. Sounds like it is so nerd thing to say but I can't tell you how true that is.
So things have been hard with Joel and I. Who knows why, it just has. But it has brought me to my knees. I casted my cares on Jesus. My Marriage, my dreams of marriage, and I casted Joel. For it takes two but I can't control Joel and he can't control me. So just to give my marraige over to Christ instead of me trying to take the wheel and screw up. So Here Lord I give it to you.
Also it has been hard at the warehouse. People are offended here. There is nothing we can really do about it but again it is to my knees these situations bring. I take it to the cross where Jesus conquered all. You know some times I don't feel like "more than a conquerer" but we are. That is what the bible says so it must be true and it is true. Again I cast my cares on you father God for you care for me.
Then there is interpersonal communication. (aka interaction with other people) Yikes again more casting it to God. Giving him my thoughts and actions. Praying he would help me put all my thoughts under CHrist control so I do not screw up my mood.
Because this is how it goes. You first have your thoughts. Which create an emotion which then lead to a behavior then the results.
So 1) Thoughts 2) emotion 3) behavior 4) results. Well I made the 4th one up I forgot what I was taught but the first three are true. SO inorder to put my actions pleasing to God I must first commit my thoughts to God. Then the rest will follow.
So things are hard here lately but I praise God they are because for the first time in who knows how long I feel closer to God. On Tuesday I went to church and for the first time in a long time when we worshipped with Music I could feel the presense of God again. So I do thank him for Trials. They aren't fun but they are worth all the Gold in the world for that is what happens when the refining fire (Jesus) comes, it makes us into pure gold for Him.
Turning into Pure Gold for Jesus,
Dess
So God has seemed very distant lately. I blamed myself mostly. I mean there is only two things that can keep us at a distant with God.
1) Ourselves. We can get distracted, our thoughts can be so horrible it can keep us from the presense of God, our actions, so you get the point
2) Then there is God. Some times or as Kippin likes to say some "Seasons" God will draw back from us to grow. Kind of like when you are learning how to ride a bike. My Dad would hold the bike while I was peddling and at one point he let go so I could learn on my own how to ride the thing. I freaked out and nearly wrecked when I found out he wasn't holding my bike any longer. Some times God will let Go so that we can walk out whatever the thing is in our lives to grow more.
Well lately I have been crying out for more of My heavenly Father. He has just felt so far away. So dry. Even when I worship with music I don't feel his presense.
My First reaction is to blame myself and I would say for the most part it has been my (Dad butler saying) "Stinkin THINKIN" I have been moody with my thoughts and complaining. Goodness. I am like the Israelites in the desert. Complain complain complain. As Joyce Meyer's would say. Complain and Remain. Praise and Be Raised. SO true. Sounds like it is so nerd thing to say but I can't tell you how true that is.
So things have been hard with Joel and I. Who knows why, it just has. But it has brought me to my knees. I casted my cares on Jesus. My Marriage, my dreams of marriage, and I casted Joel. For it takes two but I can't control Joel and he can't control me. So just to give my marraige over to Christ instead of me trying to take the wheel and screw up. So Here Lord I give it to you.
Also it has been hard at the warehouse. People are offended here. There is nothing we can really do about it but again it is to my knees these situations bring. I take it to the cross where Jesus conquered all. You know some times I don't feel like "more than a conquerer" but we are. That is what the bible says so it must be true and it is true. Again I cast my cares on you father God for you care for me.
Then there is interpersonal communication. (aka interaction with other people) Yikes again more casting it to God. Giving him my thoughts and actions. Praying he would help me put all my thoughts under CHrist control so I do not screw up my mood.
Because this is how it goes. You first have your thoughts. Which create an emotion which then lead to a behavior then the results.
So 1) Thoughts 2) emotion 3) behavior 4) results. Well I made the 4th one up I forgot what I was taught but the first three are true. SO inorder to put my actions pleasing to God I must first commit my thoughts to God. Then the rest will follow.
So things are hard here lately but I praise God they are because for the first time in who knows how long I feel closer to God. On Tuesday I went to church and for the first time in a long time when we worshipped with Music I could feel the presense of God again. So I do thank him for Trials. They aren't fun but they are worth all the Gold in the world for that is what happens when the refining fire (Jesus) comes, it makes us into pure gold for Him.
Turning into Pure Gold for Jesus,
Dess
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Just wanted to Check in
Hey Ya'll,
Things here are really good. It is only the beginning of the week and we have 5 pallets of Pomagranet Juice, 1 pallet of artichokes, 1 pallet of radishes and 3 tri-wall boxes of plums. Tomorrow are getting 3 to 4 pallets of Yogurt.
This is exciting. To get all this free food to give it freely to the churches so they can freely give it to those in need and share Christ love. I love it.
But you know there is a downer (some of the time) Because I want to be the one praying with people and giving the food to those that need it and making sure I am Kingdom building. But that is not what JOel and I are called to do (at this moment) So we pray and trust that the churches are not just giving food out but are praying and loving on the unloveable. Those that have been rejected by society. Or just those that are in need in this season in their life. That aren't rejects but have hit a few bumps on this road called life which God has given to us as a free gift.
And who knows when we have our own food ministry that we won't have a group of our own volunteers go out and pass out food as well as other groups or organizations or individuals passing out food. You never know. IT has been in my thoughts that we could have people from around the area from different churches be trained by us and they would be considered "our" volunteers who would go out and show the love of Christ but would also invite them to their church as well. It is just a thought. Whether it is my own thoughts or a promting from the Holy Spirit, I don't know. Because the Holy Spirit does give us ideas at times. So that we might do good work for Christ which has been planned ahead of time for us to do. (paraphrase to the max, but you get the point)
YOu know I am learning more and more that there are three factors to our thinking. There is us (of course) there is God giving us thoughts, and there is Satan. Some times we don't know if it is God's doing or Satans doing until time has passed.
For an example parable whatever to help get your mind wrapped around what I am saying. Lets say I am trying to get pregnant (Which I am not, please keep in mind this is an example and not my life) So lets say I am trying to get pregnant. One day I get sick. I throw up. And I keep throwing up. I start to think am I sick or am I pregnant. Only time will tell. Same with God and Satan at times. Because Satan does mimick God . . . .. . . A LOT. Is this God or is this Satan. SO any way. I am just rambling but this is what I have been thinking about lately.
Well that is it from me. It is not much. But there is not much going on.
Be Blessed My Friends and Fam.
Dess
Things here are really good. It is only the beginning of the week and we have 5 pallets of Pomagranet Juice, 1 pallet of artichokes, 1 pallet of radishes and 3 tri-wall boxes of plums. Tomorrow are getting 3 to 4 pallets of Yogurt.
This is exciting. To get all this free food to give it freely to the churches so they can freely give it to those in need and share Christ love. I love it.
But you know there is a downer (some of the time) Because I want to be the one praying with people and giving the food to those that need it and making sure I am Kingdom building. But that is not what JOel and I are called to do (at this moment) So we pray and trust that the churches are not just giving food out but are praying and loving on the unloveable. Those that have been rejected by society. Or just those that are in need in this season in their life. That aren't rejects but have hit a few bumps on this road called life which God has given to us as a free gift.
And who knows when we have our own food ministry that we won't have a group of our own volunteers go out and pass out food as well as other groups or organizations or individuals passing out food. You never know. IT has been in my thoughts that we could have people from around the area from different churches be trained by us and they would be considered "our" volunteers who would go out and show the love of Christ but would also invite them to their church as well. It is just a thought. Whether it is my own thoughts or a promting from the Holy Spirit, I don't know. Because the Holy Spirit does give us ideas at times. So that we might do good work for Christ which has been planned ahead of time for us to do. (paraphrase to the max, but you get the point)
YOu know I am learning more and more that there are three factors to our thinking. There is us (of course) there is God giving us thoughts, and there is Satan. Some times we don't know if it is God's doing or Satans doing until time has passed.
For an example parable whatever to help get your mind wrapped around what I am saying. Lets say I am trying to get pregnant (Which I am not, please keep in mind this is an example and not my life) So lets say I am trying to get pregnant. One day I get sick. I throw up. And I keep throwing up. I start to think am I sick or am I pregnant. Only time will tell. Same with God and Satan at times. Because Satan does mimick God . . . .. . . A LOT. Is this God or is this Satan. SO any way. I am just rambling but this is what I have been thinking about lately.
Well that is it from me. It is not much. But there is not much going on.
Be Blessed My Friends and Fam.
Dess
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