Day 61

"But I thought this was the 60/60 Experiment!"

It is. There won't be any more official posts to this BLOG but we're hoping that you'll take time to tell your story of how you experienced God during these past 60 days. All you have to do is post a Comment to Day 61. It doesn't have to relate to anything anyone else has written. It's just a chance to tell your story. If you haven't shared your story with anyone yet - this a great chance. And even if you have told a few people, here's an opportunity to encourage still others.

Looking forward to celebrating God's goodness made real in your life.

In His grip,

Pastor Steve


::Clark Howe::





::Linda Noftle::





::Vicki Howe::

DAY 60

As I'm sitting here I'm reviewing what happened in the services this morning. There was a lot of excitement when people were sharing what God has done in their lives. We thanked God for showing Himself to Tony and Amity. We laughed at God's goodness to Vicki as He answered a simple prayer for a ride home. We agreed with Linda as she spoke about how it's easy to get too busy for God. And we celebrated the small and big changes that have taken place in the lives of many. It seemed right to me.

And it's caused me to wonder - "Why don't we celebrate victories more often?" They don't need to be huge ones - like starting a ministry or being part of ten friends coming to know Jesus. They could be small victories, like choosing to become part of a small group OR trusting God (rather than trying to exert control) when people we love disappoint us. This morning was energizing. It doesn't mean that every trouble will disappear for those who gave testimony but God has worked for good in their lives and He deserves praise.

I think the 60/60 Experiment is all about opening the eyes of our hearts so that we can see God more clearly . . . . . and we can praise Him for what He has done and is doing.

And that leads me to this week. I'm really glad that our Soul Revolution Campaign has formally finished the week before Thanksgiving. There is so much to Thank God for -and now we can see Him more clearly and thank Him more personally.

May you continue to connect with God regularly and deeply.

Pastor Steve

Sneak Peak

Day 58

I am really excited about our church service this Sunday. We will be celebrating DAY 60 of our 60/60 experiment, and will be able to hear from a number of people as to how God worked in their lives during the experiment. We will also take time to worship our God who invites us in to this personal relationship. During the service we will be opening up the mic for people to share, so be thinking about if their is some experience from your 60/60 that God would want you to share with others.

For those who have stuck this thing out - way to go! I'm sure that you have a better understanding of what it means to hear God, and to have continual interaction with Him. Even if you consider your experiment to be a "failure", though, I want to encourage you to think about this - did God do or change anything in your life during the 60/60? Are you in a better relationship with Him now that when you began? Did you learn anything about God or about yourself through the 60/60? If so (to any of these), then I would not consider it a failure by any means, but a great learning experience. Just hang in there, and continue to learn the lessons that He is teaching you. And imagine (like Burke prompts us) to imagine what your life could be like 3 years down the road.

May He continue to change you into the person that He created you to be, and may He complete the great work that He has done in your life.

Blessings.

Day 56

Am I connecting to God more on Day 56 than on Day 1?
Yes!!

In fact 2 nights ago with heads bowed praying before dinner someone's watch went off and I smiled, already in His presence. I have noticed over the last 2 weeks that as my beeper went off it mattered less and less because I was in God's presence more and more ~ that habit, pattern, desire to be in His presence was here. I am so excited that I am hearing this from many different places and from different ages of people. People connecting with God more. . . not more than "so-n-so" just more for them! Each of us connecting more throughout our day; before a decision is made, before a conversation, as we walk/drive/run/exercise, during a meeting, as we put our heads on our pillows...

On page 249 the author asks us to image our lives 3 years from now if this remains a way of life and not just a 60/60 experiment we've shared. As I imagine this I know I want that for my relationship with Christ. I pray that the 60/60 experiment remains a changed way of life
for me ~ and for you ~ and for us ~ as we follow Jesus and grow alongside.

What's next for me?
Stay in the Small Group we are in going deeper with others, keep my beeper going to remind me of my ongoing commitment and continue to ask for God's help in keeping my heart connected to HIS because I need Him in all things.
What's next for you?

Happy Thanksgiving ~ our blessings are abundant in Christ Jesus.

Lynn

Day 55

The leaves are down and mostly raked up. Fall is about over. Fall is not my favorite season, but I do love the fall colors when the leaves turn. This year it was unusually spectacular for me. In the latter weeks, when a lot of the leaves had already fallen, there were still some brilliant red and gleaming gold trees along the streets I travel. Several times the sun was shining through those trees in such a way that it actually illuminated the leaves, making the colors more vibrant than any I can recall. I was compelled to stop and just take it in. On other occasions the sunset I saw as I was driving home from work was unusually breathtaking—deep rose colors, bright pinks and dazzling golds contrasted against a pale blue or gray sky and stretching across the entire landscape. I had to pull over and watch as it moved and changed and eventually began to fade. This happened 5 or 6 times. Each time the majesty and glory of God was so evident to me that I was moved to spill out praises to Him as I observed His creation. But at the same time I wondered what was so different about this fall that it seemed so much more magnificent than others? The difference, I concluded, is that this fall I am doing the 60-60 experience—connecting more with God—listening more for God—looking more for God. And He will be found! His word says so! Even in such seemingly small things, He enriched my life and blessed me. This is just one more reason I have appreciated the Soul Revolution. I pray that your experience has been rewarding too, and that you will continue drawing closer to the God who is waiting for you and for me. Praise our God!

Day 51

So today is Friday...the...13th! Are you scared (if so then apparently you have paraskevidekatriaphobia)? So as rumor goes, there are all sorts of bad things that can happen today, as it is a day of bad luck. I thought that (in rebellion) it would be a great day to celebrate all the good that God is doing in your life. Aren't you glad that we have a God that is not swayed by "bad luck", but is the very Creator of the world, universe, and all the laws that govern it's existence? And so, as we finish up this 60 day experiment, let us be reminded of why we started it in the first place - to be more connected to God, that we might become more aware of His interaction in our everyday lives.

So we no longer say, "Isn't that odd?", but we begin to see, "that was God"! Thank You for letting us see Your workings in our lives!

DAY 48

High View
In our Ladies Bible Fellowship Study this morning, our leader made this statement: “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.” That is a statement to ponder.

We talked a lot about having a “high view” of God and what that means. As I was thinking about that before hand, I thought about His ultimate holiness, His complete perfection, His immeasurable goodness, His unwavering faithfulness, His unconditional love, His overarching wisdom, His limitless power and on and on. Emphatically, He is high, high above me. Unquestionably I believe this. Is He so high that He is unreachable? I don’t believe that. His Word tells me that he knows me, loves me and wants to have a relationship with me. This is not a new revelation for me, but the expanse between his high position and my lowliness was driven home once again by this pondering. And then the beeper goes off and I am reminded that God wants to connect with me more often. He wants the connection to be moment by moment. I am humbled and overwhelmed by this privilege.

Day 47

Yesterday I went rock climbing with a friend after church. I know, I know that's not really that remarkable since I go climbing with this friend often but there's more. This time we took our kids with us. He took his two and I took my three oldest boys up to Buck Mountain to this great climbing place. On our 1.5 mile hike to the climbing crag I looked ahead of me at the long trail of people (5 kids) and was struck at what a great experience this is. We got to the crag, set the gear to do the climbing (to climb safely) and the fun began! One by one, our kids roped up and climbed about 60 feet up this cliff face. Each one admitted to be a little bit afraid and they all had trouble with a certain spot, but....they kept going. As each one pushed pass their fear and kept going, I was struck by how profound that is! I learned something from each of those 5 kids yesterday that I wanted to share with you. Being a little afraid is a good thing, and pushing past it is even better. That struggle and tension brings wisdom and confidence. Perhaps some of you are afraid, or facing great struggles, or maybe the stress of living out this Soul Revolution challenge is getting hard. I want to encourage you to keep going because the Apostle Paul said it best:

"Theres more to come: We continue to shout our praises even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5: 3-5 MSG)!"

Blessings,

Joshua

Day 45

What a pleasant surprise! I was concentrating on my upcoming meeting as I drove to church. And there they were! Four colorful hot air balloons hanging in the still morning sky.

Just as I was surprised by the sight of those balloons, I think the 60-60 practice of God's presence is helping me see more of the pleasant surprises of God's activity all around me, even as I go about my daily rountines.

I'm reminded that God "is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:27-28)

Pastor Bill

Day 44

My good friends Justin and Zoe had a baby this past Tuesday (congrats guys!). As I was holding little baby Elliot in the hospital on Thursday, I was deeply moved, and reminded of God's goodness. This little baby was just revealed to his parents when he was born, but he has already been known to God. Wait a second...what? He has already been known to God. Think about that, and let it blow your mind for a few minutes. I mean, I've known that truth, but it really hit me in a new way this past week as I let it sink deeply in to my spirit. Then I thought of some other truths of God: He has a plan for Elliot's life; He wants a relationship with him; He has made a way for relationship with him, and..., and...

As you continue the 60-60, let the truths of our amazing God blow you away, and let them lead you to love (for Him and people) and action!

In His Presence

I was driving to work (church) and on the way I usually pray. I found myself thanking God for the many experiences ~ deep exchanges ~ Soul Revolution has initiated with other people in my life and especially with the Lord. I began to think about some of the changes it has made in my life. One instantly came to mind; I have become more and more aware that He is God and I am not. Daily I am reminded of this rather than once a month or once in a while. I have found that in meeting with God - coming into His presence more - it keeps me humbly aware of who I am not and more importantly of who He is. That is right and good and it should be. How in the world to I lose that in daily life? I lose it by not staying connected to Him. I am thankful that Soul Revolution - the 60/60 experiment has engaged my heart and mind into staying committed to meeting with God, seeking Him more and more and more.

I am so looking forward to November 22nd when we will celebrate as a congregation during our Sunday Worship Services what the Lord has done. I am praying for these last weeks of the 60/60 to be used by our God in life changing ways so that we will seek moment by moment to be in His presence.

Blessings,

Lynn

Day 43

Fresh off a very enjoyable spirited Community Group meeting, I began today with a thought process that was my"issue" last night, of what I wanted to change with the help of Intentional Practices. I acknowledged that I could not do this on my own. That the habit in thought was going to come, but I wanted the Holy Spirit to intervene to remind me of what I vowed to overcome. Right on cue as my negative thought entered, there was the Holy spirit's reminder to to say"Remember what you were going to do when this happens". Thank you Holy spirit you came! peter

DAY 41

Group Support
It’s really neat when someone is honest about an area in their life which God wants to change, especially if you have been aware of that issue for some time but they’ve been in denial. This happened in our Group last night. We were supposed to identify one behavior, attitude or habit in our own life that kept us from experiencing God’s best for us. One person named the very character flaw that I found frustrating in them, and had been praying about how to deal with it. When they named that very thing, I was amazed that they saw it. With God’s help they saw it for what it is. That was so encouraging to me, because I knew God was “on it”. The next step was to commit to an “intentional spiritual practice” that would help change that one flaw--and to agree to be held accountable for doing that practice. As that commitment was made, I could see that God was in this change process.

Where else would I have seen that happen? Realistically, I can’t think of a place. But that’s what can happen in a Group.

I had my own flaw to share, so now I have my own “intentional practice” to be accountable for. Where else would I have felt safe and comfortable enough to admit my own flaw(s) so openly? Where else would I not be afraid of what people would think? Where else would I feel so accepted in spite of my flaw(s)? Where else would I be held accountable to carry out my “practice”? I don’t have another place like that in my life. It happens in my Community Group. And I can count on prayer support from the group along the way.

Doing the Soul Revolution in Group has confronted me with a gentle but needed push to make the changes God shows me as I read and do the exercises. I also get an opportunity to see God’s work in the lives of others. Thank you, God, for your plan of community life. Your plan is always the best.

Day 40

We knew this young couple for a few years while we served at Parkside. They had just gotten married when they were transferred to Fort Drum so that he could begin his military career. They were so much fun to be around. She served as a vocalist on my worship team and they both helped us out in our student ministry. We enjoyed their friendship and said our sad goodbyes when they were transferred to a different duty station where they had their first son and she became pregnant with a girl (due this December). Life was good, even when he left for his second deployment with his unit several months ago. Last week we he was killed along with 8 other soldiers while on patrol in Afghanistan...my heart aches for this young family.

There are three reasons I'm telling you this today. First, I think it's important to talk about what is troubling our hearts. It does little good keeping it bottled in. Next, I would ask that you would pray for this family as they grieve the loss of this beloved husband, son and friend. Lastly, take some time during your 60/60 experiment this week to thank Him for your friends and family, they are a gift from God. Additionally remember to pray for them as the Lord leads. Thanks for letting me share my heart!

-Joshua