PS

Also, check out our church website to read an excellent article on suffering by our elder and friend, Keith Goad. Go here!

Reach Out.

We love our church. It's been a huge blessing to our first nearing-3 years of marriage to be at such a Gospel-centered and Gospel-in-action church. They help me understand why people call it your church family, and when we leave Louisville, it will be extremely hard to say good-bye, but we're SO thankful for the time we have had covenanting and worshipping at Third. And all we have learned!

Recently, our wonderful pastor gave us some suggestions for member care since we're growing, and it's always easy for people to fall through the cracks at any church. There were also several suggestions about outreach, but I wanted to bring up a few of these "inward"-focused ones, because they are important, too. We have a responsibility to love and care for each other as members. We have a responsibility to pray for each other and hold each other accountable. I have copied some of the suggestions below with the hopes you could apply them at your own church and as a reminder to myself:

Suggestions:

After service, instead of first talking to those you know, make it a point to meet and greet one visitor and one other member you don’t know….
When a major event happens in the life of a member, good or bad…like the birth of a child or the loss of a family member…even if you don’t know them very well…make it a point to send them an email or a card, letting them know you’re praying for them….
Strategically consider ways you can serve another member who is at a different stage of life….
- Single and in college – how can you serve a couple with 2 children…and one on the way?
- Married with or without children – how can you pour into a college student?
- Long-time married couple, how can you invest in a younger or newly married couple?, ETC…

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.


Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Has Anyone Read This?

Have any of you gals read this book? I always avoided it at the stores when it came out. I think I had prideful issues with reading Christian books that weren't by an author I knew was GOOD. If it wasn't on that list, then I assumed it was cheesy or something.

I am only on chapter 3, but I'm just wondering if you gals had read this. It's been helpful so far! I wish I would have read it before I got married. Or in high school even. I got it for about $4 at 1/2 Price Books recently.

I will just say this for now - while you can't stereotype your man and he may not fit into all of the research of this book, I'm pretty sure you can learn something about males in general. And it may help you be a more understanding and loving wife, friend, daughter, mom, church member, etc. And it may guide your prayers as you pray for men.

But... what I really want to know is did you read it? And, if so, what did you think? What did you learn?

If you haven't read it, more info can be found here. You can even read a PDF excerpt.