Apr. 9, 2007 - Please tell me I'm not too OCD to unschool?

Maybe. Probably. BUT. I'm drawn to the whole idea of unschooling. I don't know why. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. OR maybe it just sounds cool.

I like the idea of Anti School. Is that a valid homeschooling choice? Or did I just make it up? Hey maybe I can write a parenting book about it. It'll be a best seller. Ya'll would buy it. Wouldn't you? Of course you would. How else would it be a best seller?

SO I'm thinking of trying this 'unschooling' thing. Atleast for the summer. But there's a teeny tiny problem. It's the ugly anal~retentive~perfectionism thing rearing it's ugly head again. I would just knock it out with a cast iron skillet but that would hurt ME. I'll have to come up with another solution.

How about ya'll? Any unschoolers out there? What do you do? How do you do it? Does it involve lists? Is it totally sick that I hope it does? SEE that's the anal thing I'm talking about. Obsessive Compulsive LISTMAKER. There. I said it. Now you don't have to.

I know. I have serious problems. I'm workin on it. There's no pill for it. I've checked. Okay not really. I'm a wimp. I don't like pills. But I thought it might make you feel better to think I was actively seeking help.

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Apr. 2, 2007 - Just in case you are wondering...

I think I have a problem. Well...maybe more, but for the sake of this post (and my poor *dignity) we'll just focus on the one for now.

I seem to have this, ummm... anal retentive perfectionism thing going on. My niece called me OCD. And not in a good way. (Atleast, it didn't sound good. But she's a teenager so really, who knows!) But I think it's time to bring it out in the open. The first step to freedom is admitting you have a problem right? Step up and tell the truth. And the truth shall set you free.

My name is Heather. And I have 3 blogs. And I am constantly changing them. For those of you who *may have already noticed this, I don't think it's because I have multiple personalities and am attempting to please them all .Though I could be wrong. It's been known to happen. Once or twice. A day. It's because I can never seem to represent exactly who I am, only a part of me. I've tried to break myself down into labels. I'm fighting a losing battle. I'm not just a homeschooler. Or a wife. Or a mommy. Or a christian.

I can't define myself by one aspect or one part of who I am, and what my purpose is. I am a homeschooler. A wife. A mommy. A christian. I am all of those things. And more. (But if you've ever talked to me for more than 5 minutes then you know what a complete mess I am so anything 'more', okay anything less too, isn't because I'm so great or anything.)

I'm ready to see the *big picture. I'm ready to start putting together all the pieces of the puzzle that is my life. Right here. For all the world to see. Okay, so it's *slightly unlikely that 'all of the world' actually reads this. Or ever will. But it's here if they want to. (And why wouldn't they?? :)

So for those of you who know me or have read my other blogs...you might see a few familiar posts. :) They might be better now. So just wade through the Momble Jomble! Keep the good stuff. Forgive the bad. Hopefully you'll be inspired. Or at least not offended. I apologize in advance for the randomness that is me.

And I leave you with this thought... any one else ready to get out of the shaker with me?






God, pick up the pieces. Put me back together again. You are my praise!

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Mar. 27, 2007 -

come visit me at http://momblejomble.blogspot.com/

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Mar. 22, 2007 - VOM News and Prayer update March 20, 2007

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."(John 14:16-17)

Prayers for March 20, 2007
From The Voice of the Martyrs

INDIA Pastors Brutally Beaten - VOM Sources

RAJASTHAN - On March 7, 2007, Pastor Reginald Howell of Good Shepherd Community Church was brutally beaten by a Hindu extremist group in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. According to The Voice of the Martyrs sources, Pastor Howell went to Hanumangarh to pray for the sick and visit Christians in the area. The pastor was beaten with an iron rod and suffered severe injuries on his back. The police refused to register his complaint and as a result, doctors denied him treatment. Rajasthan State has a so-called "Freedom of Religion Bill," that is used as a tool to harass Christians. VOM sources report cases of anti-Christian attacks in the area keep increasing, and the State Administration turns a blind eye to the persecution.
ANDRA PRADESH - On March 11, 2007, Pastor Anand visited a village to attend services. He was attacked by more than 10 men from a Hindu radical group. Local police who arrived at the location of the attack did not protect him, resulting in further beatings. Pastor Anand was beaten on his face and legs with wooden logs until the early hours of the next morning.
Pray for healing for these pastors and that the Gospel of Christ will not be hindered, but it will spread in the midst of this persecution. Romans 12: 14, 21

INDONESIA Indonesian Christians Attacked; Church Closed - VOM Sources
On February 11, 2007, a Moslem mob stormed Indonesia Bethel Church, in Majalaya, disrupting the service and beating church members. More than 50 Islamic extremists raided the church building and ordered the congregation to leave. Church members were threatened, beaten, and asked to show their identity cards. During the raid, a cell phone belonging to a church member, offerings, an important building permit and pictures of Jesus Christ were stolen. The militants insulted believers and said Indonesia was a Muslim nation. Hours after the attack at Indonesia Bethel Church, the same Islamic extremists marched to Baranangsiang and closed a church there. Pray believers in Indonesia will rest in the knowledge that God walks with them through this difficult time. Ask Him to heal all who were injured. Psalm 23

CHINA Thirty-Six Christians Arrested in Henan, China - VOM Sources/China Aid Association
On March 6, 2007, the police raided a house-church Bible study in Wancheng District, Nanyang City, Henan province. The leaders were taken to the police station and interrogated for a day. After international pressure, however, the local police have released 33 arrested house-church leaders and three leaders from South Korea. One leader, Pastor Dong Quanyu, was sentenced to 10 days administrative detention for "illegal" gathering. Pray Christians in China demonstrate the love of God through constant love and prayer for those who persecuted them. Pray for strength for Pastor Quanyu, as he serves the remainder of his sentence. Matthew 5: 43-48


join the discussion at VOM groups

Grace and Love,
heather

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Mar. 22, 2007 - lotsa kids

We are parents of multiple children. 5 to be exact, ranging in age from 9 yrs to 1 yr. And they are all completely different. Is our time divided fairly and equally among them? Probably not. Does each child KNOW how special they are to us and how much we love them? *Most definently!
We're a homeschooling family, so we feel blessed to be able to be spread our time throughout the day, as opposed to just a few hours between school/work and bedtime. This makes it much easier for us as they all have thier own special 'teaching time' everyday.
More than anything, we are big on activities that we can all do together. For example, we all love to read. So we do alot of family 'Read Alouds'. Sometimes we read and other times we just sit back and snuggle while one of the older children read. We're also known to randomly pile the whole crew into the suburban and just drive. Playing music (Worship or Holy Hip~Hop depending on whose controlling the cd player lol)and chatting about what we see. Telling silly stories and singing silly songs (think horrible renditions of Veggie Tales Silly Songs with Larry) that just crack us all up. We have made alot of memories in that truck :) Ironically we all really like fast toys ... 4 wheelers, go carts, gas powered skateboards ... so sometimes we do that too. I think our favorite thing to do is plop down on beanbags and just play with the baby for hours.
I was going to say what a challenge it is to give them each thier own individual 'special' time. But as I sit here pondering our days, I have to admit that it's actually pretty easy. It just seems to work itself out naturally as we go about our day.
Right now our oldest son's TIME needs are mostly centered around his DAD...sniff sniff. His bes days (according to him, are the ones that he gets to go to work with dad, or to work on 'thier' car together. They will also randomly drive around banging thier *Holy Hip~Hop for all of the world to hear. If they are late they can most lkely be found down the road at the mud pit. Ok, so it technically wasn't a mud pit..but it sure is now! lol. Other times they go fishing, just chilling together in the quiet night, talking and looking at the stars.
Our girls are content to follow mommy around and be "the greatest" helpers ever. They will follow me from room to room while I clean, wiping walls, tables, and anything else they can find with baby wipes. They also LOVE to help me cook (er..well, mostly just hang around me and talk talk talk about what we are cooking). They're avid laundry helpers too(hey somebody has to put all of those socks together right?) ANything I am doing, they are right beside me doing thier own little girl version of it :)
The youngest two, they are never lacking for attention. Our 2 yr old son just demands it...whether you have the time at that moment or not. His *most favorite thing to do is to grab something, ALWAYS something that we need mind you, and the run as fast as he can to make you chase him. Usually it's things like...the oven mitts that i need to take dinner out of the oven before it BURNS, or the cell phone that is ring ring ringing with that oh~so~important call that we've been waiting for. But the best part of 'his time' is at night when he asks me in that sweet little toddler voice "mommy you come pway wif us?"
And the baby, our baby according to the kids (although if I remember correctly none of them carried her around getting kicked in the ribs for 9 months) she is just so cute and sweet and lovable that many times fights break out to see who can get to her first when she needs something. (not like physical fist fights or anything lol). And of course, mom and dad can't resist her when she comes crawling up to snuggle or pulls up on our legs with her chubby little arms stretched out to pick her up. And even if we were so hard hearted that we could ignore her cute little drooly face, we certainly can't ignore the LOUD MAAAA or DAAAAA that accompanies it.
I guess what it comes down to is that you don't have to "set aside" a certain amount of time for your children to know that they are an important part of your family. Just letting them chill with you and be a part of what you are doing as you go about your day will make them feel special and loved:)

His grace love and peace to you and yours,
heather

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Mar. 19, 2007 - in a mother's heart

none of my children are adopted, (though it's a wonderful idea!) but when my beautiful (ya happy now brit???lol) loving, humble (hint hint!) niece *Brittany read this to me, i had to share :)

                                                                       What it means to be adopted

Teacher Debbie Moon's first-graders were dicussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had different color hair than the other family members. One child suggested that he was adopted, and a little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I'm adopted."  What  does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It means," said Jocelynn, "that you grew in your mother's heart instead of her tummy."  George Dolan

isn't that  awesome?  i thought that was an amazing analogy. it makes me think back to when my babies were "growing in my tummy".   i remember my heart just overflowing with Love each time i thought about the child inside of me. thinking i couldn't possibly Love them any more than i did right that minute. and being proven wrong over and over again. that Love grew and grew, and continues to grow and grow each day.  so our children really do grow in our hearts. i want to remember to rejoice in that Love everyday and be thankful for the gift of being "mom". and *especially blessed to be a homeschool mom!

to all of you who are tired, stressed and burnt out. or worried and feeling like maybe you just can't do it...  

don't let any one deceive you in the Truth of what you are really doing by choosing to keep your children at home. you are training thier Spirits, guiding thier Hearts, and molding thier minds....you have the opportunity to be there with them and guide them in the first steps of thier journey. 

God wouldn't trust just anyone to do that! those are His children! He chose you for a reason. He has a *great purpose for you. don't be discouraged! curicculum not working? children misbehaving? scheduling problems? may i make a suggestion? feel free to take it or not, as you please. toss it, talk to God and get a new plan. His plan!!!! i can't tell you what it looks like but i can guarantee it won't fail you.  *He doesn't want you to fail.  He wants you to turn to Him. He has a plan for you if you will listen....

"I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

  "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."  matthew 11:27-29 the message

freely and lightly. unforced rythms of Grace. sounds like Peace to me :)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they're so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.-

For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. Isaiah 9:2 the message

turn to the Amazing Counselor, the Prince of Wholeness and let His Grace, Love and Peace reign down on you tonight.

and don't forget...there is always this to look forward to!

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Mar. 13, 2007 - overheard at our house....

i thought u might get a kick out of this  conversation between 5yo dd and i the other day after her cousin told me that jay jay slapped her while she was playing:

my mom was there and when jayna hopped back inside to apologize to her cousin we just looked at each other and lost it :)

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Mar. 12, 2007 - we had a great day thank you:)

actually, we had an awesome day today, and i feel like we totally accomplished everything on our agenda. of course, i'm sure it helped that i made sure that our agenda was God's agenda this time:) it shouldn't really surprise me, yet somehow i am still amazed at how smoothly things go when i simply turn them over to Him. time and time again He has shown me His power in my life and still, i stand in awe. why don't i listen? why do i forget?

have you ever read isaiah 40? i read it the other night and sat in wonder thinking about the verse Who do you think made all this? Who marches this army of stars out each night,    counts them off, calls each by name—so magnificent! so powerful!—    and never overlooks a single one?   i just can't get past that. can u imagine how much time and effort it would take to call each and every star out by name every single night? and that's just one teeny tiny part of His day. it sure makes calling 5 ~little blessings' names out for dinner a seem a whole lot easier! how many people, do u think, call out His name daily? i kind of like the thought that each day we are alive and breathing it's because He counts us off, calling each of us by name every single morning. my day suddenly seems alot more important, if He takes that time and effort to call out my name too, everyday. and since you obviously *must be alive and breathing to be sitting there reading this, that would mean that He called out your name this morning too! isn't that an awesome thought? 

 anyway...that verse spoke to me so much that an entire lesson plan (which will lead us into a study of stars) just evolved around it. some of you are so creative, i see such great ideas on your blogs ~ do you know any interesting facts or fun projects that we could add to our study?

we centered most of our learning around the Word. we read a chapter of John (my favorite gospel ~ well, i like them all really) . for our history timeline we are on the birth of Christ.  math was, well, it was math. math is not my *forte. ds9 loves math and excels in it so he is working out of a 5th grade textbook. right now he is happy with it and challenged by it, but i have a feeling that will soon be over. he flies through it  and needs only minimal help (figures it would work that way while he's doing stuff i could actually help him with ~ lol) so i am most definently looking for a challenging math program. i don't really know of any co ops or what i would even have to offer a one, so i am going to look into maybe a virtual online program. there is a gifted math class at stanford univ. that is online but it's like $1000.00 per semester. or quarter, i can't remember which right now. but just for math, that's a little steep ya kno?

we also started reading Ishmael out loud (ya i'm just a littleee late). i thought i would like it but i was pretty surprised that the kids seemed to also. they are a little young. all 3 of the "big kids" just had birthdays. (the baby did too ~ she turned a year old on the 1st yayyy Chloee!!!! she claps her hands and cracks up when u say that. it's so cute:) Li Li will be 3!!!! WOW 3, next month. Tristan turned 9, and my girlies are now 5 and 6.

what else did we do? oh ya we started a purpose driven life. and i am reading the power of a praying wife. and we did geography. we are studying our state. more specifically right now, our city. because...well, because we can take lots of great field trips and we like those LOL.

i was uplifted by this today...i hope u might be too :)

When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. 2Corinth 1:6 the message

and it just made me think, i know i'm going to make it too! thank you for your encouraging words that spurred me on.

His grace love and peace to you and yours,

heather

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Mar. 8, 2007 -

•  You give him the strength to lead (joshua 1:7), time to know his family (john 10:14), and a passion to manage his home(1timothy 3:4).

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Mar. 7, 2007 - I just have to say....

these are the things that i must confess. the things that i am too proud to share. i am...convicted to share them. i am humbled that He might use me to touch just one persons Spirit.

on the outside, my life is, at best, a mess. my Husband and i have just come through this huge struggle. we are so broke i have had to borrow money from my Mother ( i LOVE you mommy:)for diapers twice in the last 2 mnths. i am throwing out my curriculum and starting from nothing because i didn't Listen to God when planning it and it was a *complete disaster. we currently have 5 ~ little blessings ~ in a 34ft RV because we were buying a house and it fell thru b/c someone else owned 30 ft of the property which could *only be God' s way of saying No because you have to own atleast 50ft to legally build anything, but that is a whole 'nother story.

*this is why i like writing...or typing, because if i were talking tht sentence would have taken away my breath.

i'm *quite positive that i could continue that list for hours....don't worry i'll spare you that:)
but u know what?? i have never felt God's peace as strongly as i do right now. and i can honestly say that i have never felt the Grace of His Spirit and Blessings pouring over me as fully as i do right now.

i have been blessed with a husband who loves me *sooo much that he *very graciously goes to a job he hates 5-6 days a week because he truly believes in God's plan for our family and my role in training our childrens spirits, guiding thier hearts and molding thier minds ~ with God's imprint. and he loves His children *sooo much that he is willing to sacrifice and struggle for thier futures. and most importantly, he loves God so much that he would lay down his life for us. and i think i just realize how much he really *does love us.

i have been blessed by the Truth of what i am really doing for my children by choosing to stay home with them and teach them. to experience the beginning of thier Life in Christ with them. to have the opportunity to guide them in the first steps on thier journey. they are all His witnesses to me everyday. the Testimony of His Amazing Love for me.

i literally hunger and thirst for more and more of His Spirit. i've always had a hunger for God. but this is a little different. this is more like the hunger a baby would feel if they were needing full meals and thier mother was still nursing exclusively. if that makes any sense. i am thankful that i am being fed. I am being fed by God through His Word and His Truth and i am being fed by an absolutely amazing family of Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

i have had awesome awesome opportunities to share my testimonies, show Gods grace and Love and forgiveness and to be a witness to the power of Christ in our life.

on the inside i am finally where i am supposed to be. right now, in this moment. i am home.
i am so thankful that He, in His Infinite Wisdom chose to bring me to this place. and that He isn't finished with me yet.

His Grace and Love and Peace to *you and yours,
the Faithful keeper of the cheerios

But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you.
He's gathering strength to show mercy to you.
God takes the time to do everything right ~ everything.
Those who wait around for Him are the lucky ones.
Isaiah 30:18

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Mar. 6, 2007 - Brevity 2 ~ His greatest sermon can be read in 8 minutes.

This is one of my favorite passages ~ Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It humbles me and teaches me no matter how many times I read it. It gives me direction when I can't clearly see the path set before me.  It is a gentle reminder of what I am supposed to strive for, the things that are REALLY important in this life. It's  as if He is speaking directly to me. When I look through His eyes, I realize just how blessed I am. I hope it blesses you even more:)

Matthew 5
1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Salt and Light
13"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Completing God's Law
17-18"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.

19-20"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Murder
21-22"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.

23-24"This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

25-26"Or say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won't get out without a stiff fine.

Adultery and Divorce
27-28"You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.

29-30"Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.

31-32"Remember the Scripture that says, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights'? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are 'legal.' Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you're responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you're automatically an adulterer yourself. You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure.

Empty Promises
33-37"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

Love Your Enemies
38-42"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Matthew 6
The World Is Not a Stage
1 "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.

2-4"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Pray with Simplicity
5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

6"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what's best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

14-15"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.

A Life of God-Worship
19-21"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

22-23"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

24"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.

25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 7
A Simple Guide for Behavior
1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

6"Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege.

7-11"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

12"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

Being and Doing
13-14"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

15-20"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.

21-23"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

24-25"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

26-27"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

28-29When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

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Mar. 5, 2007 - The Invite

Ok, so now, as I said in an earlier post..I feel totally convicted to share this heart hitting message with you. I am not just convicted, I was challenged.

Yesterday, our awesome pastor talked about invitations. How quick we are to invite people to the movies, dinner, or our homes. All of us have invited someone over to dinner or to go hang out somewhere... And he talked about the most important invitation EVER. Now, PLEASE don't expect me to present this as eloquently as he did, but here is the gist of it ;)

All of us who are familiar with God's Word have heard the parable of the Wedding Banquet, about the King(God) who sent his servants(God's "street team" if you will) to invite guests to his Son's(Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) wedding banquet, but they wouldn't come. So he sent out more servants to invite more guests and the servants were beaten and killed. Being as the banquet was already prepared and his guests proved not worthy of this feast, he sent out yet another round of servants to just go and invite people off of the streets ~ anyone who would come. And they did, and the place was filled.

Verses 11-13 say "When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed. He said to him, 'Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!' The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, 'Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in."

Obviously they weren't talking about his actual clothing because they just pulled people off of the streets. And no one noticed until the king walked in. The King saw inside of his heart. We can dress up on the outside. We can talk a good game. We may fool others into believing that we are doing all we can as His Servants. But when it comes down to it, we can't get anything past God. What will He see when he looks into our hearts?

As he was breaking down the parable he challenged us. Any and all of us who love and serve Him. This is where the challenge comes in. Our Creator has prepared eternity to be the most bangin party EVER. How many of us have recently invited someone else to join us on our spiritual journey? For those of us that have a relationship with Christ isn't this the greatest invite we could give?

So my dear friends, not only do I sincerely invite you to join me in my spiritual journey, but as our pastor challenged us, I also challenge YOU to serve God by being an active part of His Ultimate Street Team.

"That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.' Matthew 22:14 The Message

Lets make it together!

His Grace Love and Peace to you and yours,
Heather

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Mar. 5, 2007 - Luis Palau's Tampa Bay Festival absolutely ROCKED!!!

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Mar. 2, 2007 - For Joshua

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Mar. 2, 2007 - News and Prayer Update from VOM

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Mar. 1, 2007 - I want to be a sheep at His right hand

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him,[d] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46



I have been Ithinking more and more about the Persecuted Church. It's not something that we see or hear alot about in our daily lives. And yet I am somehow drawn to the spirits of our brothers and sisters in chains. I am beginning to have a consistent feeling that there is something I should be doing. I think it might be a part of the serving heart that the Lord is trying to establish in me.

I am realizing that it is really truly not about me, or even my husband, my children, my family. Not about if I am happy (*joy* however is a choice ~ and I choose joy:), not about if I get what I want or think I need (Jehovah Jireh ~ The Lord Who Provides ~ is a name that Abraham called God:) not about who may have hurt my feelings (how much more does it hurt Christ, our Savior, when the same people that He gave His life for - deny him???:) or anything else that has to do with my emotions or my feelings.

What it's about, is being obedient to El Elyion (OT name for God ~ Most High God or God Most High :) Seeking His will and then following His will. When I am doing that completely, none of the other areas of my life are lacking. It doesn't take away from them, but through that total submission His Grace pours out into every aspect of my life. My husband has joy. My children are kind, patient and obedient (most of the time ;) and I am at Peace. But only, when I seek Him first.

As a homeschooling mother with 5 children, the last thing I thought of myself was that I was selfish. But suddenly, God has brought me out of my flesh and I can see it all so clearly now. I put serving Him, and serving others (outside of the people in my life and charities that we donate to etc.) in a box and only opened the box when I thought about it or when someone brought a need directly to me.

I have always wanted God's will in my life. I have always made it a point to ask God should I do ____, or pursue ____. Thank You so much for ___ and ____. Please help me to ____ and _____. Change my heart Lord.

Now I am ready to ask "What do You want me to do for You Lord?" I am finally ready to commit every fiber of my being to His Purpose. To His Soviergn Will.

I am ready to start serving our brothers and sisters in chains. I found a program through Voice of the Martyrs that "blogs for the persecuted church." So that is where I am lead to start. If you also find yourself drawn, you can find out how you can help by going to Persection Blog

I've been subscribed to the VOM newsletter off and on for years now. It is a FREE newsletter and a wonderful tool that we use in our homeschooling for Writing, Geography and Serving. You can check it out here:)

Grace Love and Peace to you from the Most High God,
Another Servant :)

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Feb. 28, 2007 - Live like you are dying *** Prayer Request

Please pray for Amy and her family. Amy was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia July 2, 2006. You can enrapture yourself in her heartbreaking uplifting encouraging inspirational journey at the Wilhoite Prayer Blog

After finding out she has basically 2-3 months to live, she says this....

"We are heartbroken. This is not the news we wanted to hear. We wanted to raise our son, to grow old together, but God has different plans for our family. And as much as we don't understand them right now, we know that He is sovereign over this as well.

Please pray for us, and for my family especially. My part in all of this is rather easy. I get to die and be with my Savior in glory. I get to miss out on all the suffering this world holds. It is my family who bear the grief and the pain day in and day out. It is for them that my heart breaks.

Hold your loved ones a little closer for me today. Live life a little more -- wear your dressy clothes around the house just because life is really short and stains don't really matter. Don't get impatient about the little things. Someday we'll understand why."


After reading this my immediate thought was Grace Love and Peace. Then, "she opens her mouth with kwisdom and her tongue is the law of kindness"

Almost similtaneously pictures of my precious little children's faces flowed through my mind. I could never imagine having to leave them. I honestly don't know if I could do it gracefully. Almost certainly I don't think I could do it peacefully.

I'm going to kiss my babies.

Grace Love and Peace to YOU and YOURS,
Heather

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Feb. 27, 2007 - clueless

Do you ever find your self....well stuck? Not really stuck. More like a little mouse in a maze who doesn't know which way to go first. There are just so many things I want to do and get done ... and just never enough time or energy. All of these ideas seem to be flowing out of my spirit...and yet I find myself at a complete standstill. With school. With serving. with a million other things. And the only reason I am at a standstill is because I just don't know where to start or what to do first. SO I am not doing anything! How's that for irony?

Have I forgotten how to prioritize? Do I know what's important? WHAT is my problem?

For years, since I was a young teenager...i knew, just KNEW that I had a .... calling , I guess you would say. (aside from my 1st calling which is my family). I had no clue what it was, but I knew it was there and that someday He would "call me out" to do it. Well, I have been waiting and waiting and praying and praying and now He seems to think it is a good time to "call me" to do 50 things at once. Do I do them seperately, will they weave together somehow, somewhere down the road to become a whole?

WHERE DOES HE WANT ME TO START?  WHAT do I do first?

Why do I feel like now that the time is here, I am completely unprepared for the thing I have been preparing for all of my life?

Thankfully I remember that God doesn't call the equipped HE equips the called. And maybe that is the reason the i have come to this completely clueless time in my life...so that there will be no question of Whom the glory belongs to. For anything GOOD that comes after this is NOT me but HE who gives me strength and wisdom.

El Elyion ~ God Most High, Elohim ~ the God above all gods, Jehovah Raphi ~ the God of peace and healing, Jehovah Jireh ~ the GOD who PROVIDES.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6

His grace peace and love to all,

Heather

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Feb. 23, 2007 - We Are The Church

This was such an awesome message by Pastor Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D. of Crossover Community Church Tampa, Fla. that I thought I would share.
Hope it makes ya think :)

Church has become defined as "a place where certain things happen" -such as worship, preaching, prayer & fellowship. People tend to say "I go to church," the same way they say they go to the mall or the movies. People say "I attend church" the same way they attend school or college. Other people say "I belong to a church" the same way they belong to a gym or an organization.

Think about it. So many people within and outside the church view church as a vendor of religious services and goods. Church has become a place, a building - instead of a group of people on a mission.

Keep thinking. We go to church to learn about God and how He can fix our problems and heal us from past hurts. It's where we send our children to have others teach them about God. It's where we go to hear great music and connect with people. Its where we go for our weekly feeding of God's Word.

Not that these are bad things. They are all vital necessities. The problem comes when the church is the only place we experience these things. When we don't talk to God or study His word daily. When we expect the pastors to read the bible for us and teach us all we need to know in 1 hour on Sundays. When we don't teach our kids about God and just expect someone else to do it for us.

Many of us have become consumer minded when it comes to church. We look for a church that's going to meet every single one of our spiritual needs. Relevant Magazine's website has an article that makes a great point. It says that the church's motto has changed from "We are here to serve the lost and broken world" to "What does this church have to offer me?"

There needs to be a balance between the church body meeting people's needs and the people also giving back to the church. This is part of God's plan.

It all boils down to the original definition of church. Here is a biblical statement that is going to rock some of ya'll. There is not one verse in the new testament that says "They went to church." You might be thinking "What? I thought those people were always in church!" Well, according to the Bible, it is actually impossible to 'go to church'. You might be trippin now, but bear with me.
The church of the New Testament never referred to a building or even a meeting that took place. It referred to the people of God who were together on a mission. So, in light of that definition, we cannot 'go to church' because we are the church. If you have a relationship with Christ then you and I make up the church. I AM THE CHURCH! yOU ARE THE CHURCH! WE ARE THE CHURCH! The past few years i have seen alot of people proudly rocking shirts that say "I am Hip-Hop." Would we be proud enough to boldly rock a shirt that says "I am the church?" We recently gave out shirts to all our volunteers at Crossover that said "I am the church" on the front. On the back it continued and said, "...and I meet with the rest of my family at a place called Crossover." It sparked up some conversation and helped some of us to be more aware to represent.

In the New Testament the word church is always used to refer to a gathering, a crowd, a group, or an assembly of people who believed in Jesus Christ.

ACTS 14 is a great example of that. This passage talks about Paul and his crew returning to the city of Antioch. Paul was the man! A few verses before that he was in the city of Lystra and got stoned. These cats literally mobbed him, pulled him out of the city and stoned him until they thought he was dead. After they dipped the disciples gathered around Paul. He got up, brushed off the dust, wiped off the blood, and kept rolling. He was a raw dude. So, as the disciples returned to Antioch, they wanted to tell all the believers the good news about that and all the others that received Christ. CHeck out vs. 27 as it says, "On arrivingthere, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples." Notice the first part of the verse, "they gathered the church together". You can't gather a building together can you? NO, because the church is us! It's you and me!

In the New Testament the word church is from the greek word, 'Ekklesia.' This word meant an assembly of believers that gathered together for a purpose and a mission. The term is used in the singular to describe several churches in a region as it talks about that in ACTS 9:31. But, it is also used to describe the church that is made up of believers from everywhere on the earth. We are part of a local and universal church meaning a group of people that follow Christ. One of the biggest things we are supposed to be about as the church is our mission. Rick Warren (author of Purpose Driven Life) stated that "today the church is more known for what it's against rather than what it is for". That's a sad but true statement. When someone is on thier deathbed, or dying, or about to leave forever thier last words are usually the most important thing that they will say to those they are leaving behind. We have all seen it in the movies, and some of us have experienced it in real life.

If we look at Jesus' last words to his disciples it was all about giving them thier mission. The mission was to reach more people and let them know about the hope, forgiveness, and relationship the He offers. In MATTHEW 28:19-23 and ACTS 1:8 Jesus gives this mandate to His followers. This is what we are supposed to be about as the church!
So let me encourage you like the writer of Hebrews to not give up meeting together, but let's not stop there! Let's also be about our mission, and let our actions throughout the week hollar ' I AM THE CHURCH!'


Crossover started with a small community of people that wanted something different. They were burned out with “organized religion” – tired of the politics, the tradition, and the masks people hid behind at many churches. They saw the needs of people on the streets that weren’t being met, and they wanted to do something about it. Pastor Joe McCutchen founded Crossover with a few other people in the early 1990’s. They moved into a facility that was basically abandoned and very run down on N. Orleans Avenue. Al Palmquist was a member of the church who met Tommy Kyllonen on some basketball courts in Clearwater. Tommy was running a successful urban b-ball league while completing his college internship. Joe and Al challenged Tommy to start an urban youth ministry at Crossover from “the ground up.”
In December 1995, Tommy graduated from college with a B.A. in Pastoral Theology, with a concentration in Youth Ministry. He married Lucy Laguerra in February of 1996 and together they founded Crossover’s Youth Ministry with only 4 teens. Over the next six years, they developed a first of its kind Hip-Hop Youth Ministry, which grew to close to 200 youth weekly. During this time, the Adult Ministry at Crossover maintained about 40 regular attendees as there were three different pastors (changing every two years), each of which were bi-vocational.
In January of 2002, Tommy Kyllonen became the lead pastor of Crossover; a new vision and structure was birthed for the church. Crossover became “purpose driven” as the leadership team developed and implemented the mission statement: “To relevantly introduce the truth of Christ to the Hip-Hop Culture as we develop worship, purpose, unity, and leadership in their lives.” Crossover began to make several changes to better reach the community. The services quickly grew as several new people visited and built new relationships with Christ. Many soon embraced the vision and began getting involved and serving others.
God has called Crossover to be a pioneer church to reach the Hip-Hop Culture. The church has become internationally known through all of the favorable media articles, as well as the numerous CD’s released by Urban D. and the Fla.vor Alliance. Thousands have visited Crossover’s website and attended the church services, looking at Crossover as a model. The once “run down” facility has been completely transformed into a unique thriving church campus that is exploding with creativity for the Creator. In less than 4 years, the weekend attendance has jumped from 40 to over 400. In addition, the Thursday night Youth and Young Adult services reach hundreds more each week. With all the exciting things God has allowed Crossover to accomplish, this is still just the beginning.


Weekly Planet – Feb. 22nd, 2005 – Cathy Lynn Grossman
“Crossover Community Church, just west of the Lowry Park Zoo, draws hundreds to its services each week. Believed by many to be the world’s model hip-hop church, Crossover is booming – largely to its young lead pastor, Tommy Kyllonen. Known in the world of Christian Hip-Hop as Urban D., Kyllonen has released five rap albums and travels around the country speaking at conferences; he’s an emerging expert on bringing the Word to the hip-hop generation. Standing at Crossover’s lectern, which is designed to look like an oversized spray paint can, Kyllonen has the gift to speak to a room of hundreds and yet find a way to talk to everyone individually. His well-prepared sermons vacillate between scripture and anecdotes, jokes and explanations. Kyllonen doesn’t bellow like some preachers and he doesn’t break into song. He just talks, engaging his audience in what feels like a conversation – even if he’s the only one speaking. The seats are filled by Latinos and African Americans, Whites and Asians. While most of them are in their twenties, there are plenty of families too – couples in their 40’s and 50’s who may have come to help their kids, but stayed to help themselves.”

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Feb. 22, 2007 - BrieflyME from Helium

I just thought this was kinda cool :)

In Him, Heather

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