treats n' eats and simple love

We had a great night last night at BridgePoint Church! We had an event at the church during Tarentum's trick or treat hours. We wanted to be part of the community during that time- with games, candy, a movie, free hot dogs, grilled cheese, chips, drinks,cotton candy, cookies and the BEST of all, the love of Christ.

We at BridgePoint Church want people to feel love, kindness and acceptance. People are soo hurting, sometimes suspicious of kindness, and sometimes don't quite know how to handle simple love. Jesus was just that- simple Love. Jesus always embraced the sinner -He simply loved them. Jesus loved because He knew that was what people needed- He knew they were soo hurting, sometimes suspicious of kindness and sometimes didn't quite know how to handle simple love.

So, take time today, tomorrow, the next few days and love someone - they need it even if they don't ask or know it!

No. Pain, No Gain!!

We all know the lingo... aerobics, circuit training, core training, muscle tone, body fat index, reps, sets, supersets.. and on and on it goes. Well, we are jumping in on the whole thing.

This week BridgePoint is launching "Life Groups". They are small groups that will meet regularly. Starting Oct.7, one of those groups will be an exercise group for women, It will be taught by Stacey whose husband owns the boxing gym where we meet for church. She is certified in several styles of fitness. I will have a short devo at the beginning then we will go for it!! She is awesome and will really give us a good workout!

It is open to anyone and we would love to have all your girls come! Better yet, if you know someone who doesn't regularly go to church this is a fun, non-threatening event to bring them to.

I don't know about how fit we will become, but we will definitely have lots of fun trying! If you are interested, email me at franciek@bridgepointchurch.cc or just show up at 7:00 on Tuesday, Oct.7

1..and..2...and..1...and...2...

Kids

I realized yesterday that our 2 kids,Alexandra (23) AND Gregory(21),will be home in about 3 1/2 months and I got so excited! You might think, "that's a ways off" but they haven't been home since last Christmas. I think about them every day. I do talk to them regularly via phone but I long to put my arms around them and kiss them (they still let me do that!) As time has passed, I realize how much they are maturing and I am so proud of them!

If your kids are still at home and drive you crazy from time to time, it's all good! And, be careful that you always enjoy them- before you know it, they'll be off somewhere far from you. But, we are their stewards- the Lord owns them and He gives us the AWESOME privilege of having them bless our lives! Thank you Lord, for children, especially OURS!

Be devoted- (a longer post than usual but worth the read)!

What a crazy few weeks I've had-it's all good but nevertheless crazy! Sorry for the absence(for any of you who DO read my blog- besides myself LOL)

Anyway, during my devos lately I've been meditating on Prov 4:23:

"Above all , guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life".

Interestingly, my sister send me an email about the Arlington National Cemetery. As I began to read it, I was stopped in my tracks at what these soldiers do in regards to their commitment to guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Not only are there requirements about the rifle, the gloves, the times but sooo much else. Check out some of the info. You'll be amazed..

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be
between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other
requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the
tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on
or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the
res t of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in
any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on
their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only
400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their
lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat
and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the
top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty
in front of a full-length mirror.
The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor
watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid
to rest in Arlington National Cemetery A guard must memorize who they are
and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe
E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most
decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for
guard duty.

WOW, WOW, WOW!!

When I got a pic of that in my mind I realized that this is the urgency I need when I read scripture. These guys are radical about guarding that tomb. DO I GUARD MY HEART with that much passion, unswerving commitment and dedication? Do I put it above all else? After all, if contains (or should) the most precious thing in the world.. God's word, the living word, the thing that is the wellspring of life-what I need to live??

I have recommited myself to upholding that verse . And also to be more proactive in guarding what I let into my well- not letting it get gunked up with pollutants, junk or unnecessary stuff!

Will you come on duty with me today?

'Above all , guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life"

Worship

I was reading Ps 34 yesterday and verse 1-2 really struck a cord with me:


"I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips."

David wrote this after he was being persecuted. He had to act like a crazy person- literally- because his life was being threatened. During one of the worst times of his life, David declared that he would praise the Lord no matter what! That at ALL TIMES he wills to praise the Lord, that praise to the Lord will ALWAYS be on his lips! David was an ordinary guy who had an extra-ordinary desire to worship his God. He even did it in a greater way when his hardships were greater that usual.

He is my mentor when it comes to worship. But, do I do it to the measure that he does it when I'm under pressure?... when things aren't going my way? ...when hardship or persecution comes my way?

I challenge you(and myself) today to become the worshipper that David was.

God is looking for faithful worshippers.. that is why we were created!

Friends

Greg and I just returned from 4 days is Ft. Lauderdale. It was nice to get away for a bit and enjoy palm trees, eating out, laying on the beach and seeing different sights. We also talked alot about our 25th wedding anniversary coming up April 14, 2009(WOW) and plans to maybe celebrate in Florida. We'll see about that - we want to do something special!! We have so many great friends and we would love to include them in the celebration.

As I think about our friends, I am so glad to be back home. (I like Florida alot and my brother owns a condo on the beach so it's available to us whenever we want.) BUT, when I think about my blessings I think about friends, not vacay or stuff or whatever. Friends add so much to life. With them your life is full of flavor and richness. Without them it can be hard going at times. God created us for relationship- not just with Him but with each other. Of all the things that are precious to me , my friends are that!

Thank you for being my friends! You make a difference in my world.

Something old, something new.....

Is there something NEW that God is trying to teach you? Or, is it an old thing that shows up from time to time? I read Psalm 90:12 this morning, "Teach us to number our days aright , that we might gain a heart of wisdom." I then proceeded to ask the Lord to teach me something THIS day, that I might get more wisdom THIS day..

Well, He answered my prayer. It wasn't a new thing but an old thing. But, He taught me AGAIN a lesson that needed to be refreshed. I am so thankful that He never gives up on me, that nothing can separate me from His love, that His mercies are new everyday. He never takes His eye off of me and watches over me.

When the Lord does anything in us it's always a good thing. He always has plans to prosper us and NEVER to harm us. So, learn what the Lord may be teaching you today. If there is nothing today it will be another day, because He loves you and doesn't want to leave you or me the way we are but wants us to be more like Jesus.

Lord, help me remember that the Holy Spirit empowers me to learn what I need to learn.

"Will You Examine Yourself"

I love the devotional , "My Utmost for His Highest". God always uses it in my life! The title for July 9 is "Will You Examine Yourself". And I thought , well of course I will! Isn't that what this small book is all about??..It seems to force me to do that on a regular basis. I am very uncomfortable with that... you know, the admitting that I am not doing well in a certain area or I missed that opportunity that God gave me to learn something ..AGAIN.. or that he had to extend grace to me again. But, I need to do that. My main objective is to be fully devoted to Jesus..that's it! Not to my ministry or to people or to my stuff. When I am deliberately determined to seek Jesus first and our relationship, then all else takes care of itself>

So, I will continue to examine myself to see just where where my words come from. If what's in and about me isn't right, then my words won't be right!

So, will you join me in asking ...Will You Examine Yourself?

P.S. "Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you into trouble" (ouch!!)
...until next time

Words

I've been wanting to post but couldn't decide what to post about. God said "words". I was thinking about humility, but God said "words". I was thinking about vacation but God said "words". So, I guess it's words. It all started with a book I'm reading , "When to speak up and when to shut up". Hmmm. I am also going to do a word study of words. Boy oh, boy, I feel the Holy Spirit conviction coming already. I want to note that I have grown so much in this area but I want to sound even more like Jesus when I speak.


Studies show that women speak 20,000 words a day compared to men who speak 7,000. Wow! That's scary because it makes me think, what in the heck am I talking about? As I try to remember what I've said in, let's say, the last few hours, these questions come to mind..


Why did I say that?
Was that even necessary?
What was I trying to prove?
Why did I say it that way?
Where did that comment come from?


I find that honesty with ourselves is difficult and embarrassing but necessary. We have to allow the Spirit of God to do His work in us in and change us more into the image of Jesus.


If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, don't speak, just LISTEN.

He ALWAYS has plans to prosper you and NOT to harm you.


"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord: keep watch over the door of my lips"

Why does dust lay sideways on a chest of drawers? .......Why do flowers grow where weeds are supposed to grow and weeds grow where flowers are supposed to grow?..... Why do we have more energy as kids when we have less to do and not enough of it when we are older and have so much to do?....... Why do we complain when we are bored then complain when we have too much to do?

Why do we do what we don't want to do and don't do what we should do???

I was just wondering...

"We are fam-il-y.."

As I continue to count my blessings, I want to take a moment and tell you about my family. I posted about our morning coffee together so, here is a pic of us.

Tom, my brother is generous, loving, fun, kind and dependable. We have always been close and I am glad for that (he's my "boss" 2 days a week). Pamela , my sister is a doll! We are closer than we've ever been and we like to do girl things together. Lastly, my mom, Penny is a rock! She's always there for me and I love and honor her.

They are the family God has given me and I am grateful for that. Thanks, guys for all you are.. I love you !!

Preaching

I feel so blessed! Since I've come to Christ, I have been around great preachers! Pastor Jeff is one of the best preachers I know - I was "raised " under his preaching and he awesome! My walk with Jesus has been and still is greatly impacted by his preaching and life. THANKS, Jeff!.... I just finished listening to Andy Stanley (Charles' son). He is an excellent communicator and every time I hear him I am wowed! .... On a regular basis, I get to hear my husband preach. He is such a great speaker. Greg is anointed to preach. When he speaks, the Holy Spirit comes into our midst. I am so proud of him! .... I am thankful that God uses friends, strangers and family to bless our lives.

Love, sweet love

Even though some of us weren't part of this era, alot of us know the Dionne Warwick song,"What the world needs now is love, sweet love". And how many songs are there about LOVE?? As I finished reading my one year bible , I just looked around at all the people coming and going at Panera (is this my fav blogging place??) That song popped into my head and I thought, "man, it's so true". In the OT, that's what people needed-that's why Jesus had to come. Today, AGAIN, the world is SO in need of love and people need to receive Him.

As I reflect back on a conversation with a woman who accepted Christ in our service yesterday, ( Praise God),my heart is heavy because she is hurting. But, as I encouraged about her new position in Christ, I saw a smile on her face and a renewed hope! I am excited to see what the Lord has for her.

It's all about love, sweet love ... of Jesus.. from Him to us.. to others

Lord, reveal Yourself to that one who need to sense your love today!!

Blogging at Panera

I thought it might fun to have a pic of me blogging ON my blog. I love Panera- it functions as meeting place, ministry planning, girls night out, date night, whatever. I know, the coffee is NOT Starbucks but I love the jazz music and the decor. Good place to go to chill (if it's not crowded) . AND, free wireless!

Speaking of ministry, I meet my family at Panera in Shadyside Tues and Thur AM. Gives me opportunity to share the love of Christ- to spread a little fragrance of Christ when I'm with them. But, if I'm not fertilizing my "flowers" the fragrance is not very full. And, gardens need to be tended to regularly or things begin to wilt and become frail.

Holy Spirit, help me to keep my flowers beautiful.

How's your garden??

New things

I have justed started a facebook- what a project! Maybe it's just me- maybe I'm "age challenged" but it was a little overwhelming. I spoke with my daughter , Alexandra this AM-she's 23 and gorgeous AND smart. Sorry.. I get carried away when I talk about my kids. Anyway, she started explaining some things to me and I started to get information overload. Sometimes things have to be explained v-e-r-y slowly, THEN I have to write instructions down, THEN I have to put into layman's terms- see, I told you ..what a project! But, I like to stay fresh, relevant and keep up with things. It's good for my little brain.

I try to do that with God- stay fresh (with passion for Him), stay relevant (knowing that His word is ALWAYS applicable) and keep up with things (what His says to me regularly as well as keeping in touch with the Holy Spirit).

It's fun (and challenging ) to do new things. But, it seems that when the new-thing excitement wains, it always gets down to me and Jesus- everything else always pales in comparision!!

Pasta, meatballs and karaoke

Tonight we had all the APC interns over for dinner. Afterwards, we had a little entertainment. Carl pulled out the karoake machine and we went nuts ! It was sooo much fun. Carl and Greg went to town on James Brown' s "I Feel Good" and Tiffany H. and Sarah belted out some country hits. Tiffany W. and Holly sang a ballad or 2. Grace and Amy sang their hearts out on "Let it Be".I even gat a chance to be Patsy Cline for a few minutes! It was a great nite - I love these kids ! They are such a blessing to me. Kinda like my kids who aren't home this summer-who I miss so much. Hey guys, thanks for being my kids this summer. Like God is a father to the fatherless, you are kids to the kidless(??)

Keep on singing!!

Francie 411

Well, I’m official. I guess I’ve been added to the blog world! Actually, I’m pretty excited. I’m not sure of how many people will visit but I just felt prompted to start blogging. I believe that I might have something to say that someone might need to hear…

The title of my blog is 2 fold. First of all I am 4’11” tall. (Did you know that I am legally a midget, or is it politically correct to say “height challenged?? LOL) Secondly, 411 is the number you dial on the phone when you want information.

Hopefully I’ve got you attention one way or the other! Talk to you later.