clintonville co-op

so...i'm thinking about joining the co-op at the clintonville food market. anyone else interested? check it out. too bad there isn't a westerville co-op. maybe vcc should start one through the community center...
http://www.communitymarket.org/

First things first

He may have worn sandals. He may have worn socks.
He may have farmed sheep and he may have led flocks.
He may have worn a tunic, he may have looked fab in it.
He may have made his Mum a new kitchen cabinet.

He might be a pop star, he might be God’s son.
He might be a fable, he might be a no-one.
He might have been special or bonkers or weird,
but there’s no disagreement on this - Jesus definitely had a beard.

He may have fed five thousand. He may have healed the sick.
It’s possible that foot-washing really made him tick.
He may have been dead serious, or else a little skittish.
My Grandmother reckons he was definitely British.

He might have been good-looking, he might have been quite plain.
He might be in heaven, he might be insane
He might have eaten locusts or figs or honey.
He would have given Gandulf a run for his money.

He may have been nomadic. He may have had a shack.
He may have died and he may have come back.
He may be the earth’s Almighty Saviour.
His favourite girl’s name may have been Octavia.

He might have been podgy. He might have been thin.
He might have ridden donkeys or rid the world of sin.
He might have thought a stable was as good as it gets,
but let me tell you this - Jesus would never have advertised Gillettes.

Jude Simpson
I found this on REJESUS.com

Free Rice

This is fun.  Check out this website.

www.freerice.com

A Poem

            In this trek we traipse and tread

                     walk . . . wheel . . . whirl

                     to me

He said.

        Please

Come, Come

here, Lounge here at this feast, I want you here

He said.

Idle is pain, loneliness lies fallow, all sins are dead

inimitable truth gleams 

so bright 

no longer wrongfully rue,

There's only Me

He said.

                     

    Just be 

                    with Him

                    He wants you to

                        sit. 

    So aware 

    of His affable 

      love.

What Would Jesus Buy? - Official Trailer!

This would be a great movie to watch in our small group. I read a review in Christianity Today and it gave it pretty good reviews.http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/whatwouldjesusbuy.html

This Blog is coming Alive!

Hello fellow villains,
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I am glad that a lot of you have joined in on the blog. It took a few invites but it looks like pretty much everyone has gotten signed on. I am very encouraged with all of your post. Keep it up! Every time I get on the blog and see a new post I get excited to read how people are doing. If you come across a video, story, or picture please attach it to the blog. I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Peace
Stephen

Merry Christmas, Jesus

Lets join Jesus at his birthday party. There are some funny parts and then some just sad.

yes.

Yes. I finally figured this out. I am not so great with computers. Exciting news. Both my parents and grandparents came to the x'mas eve service. Rich was really on fire and I am so thankful for the seeds God planted in my families hearts. Hopefully this is the beginning of something beautiful. Corey and I are the only ones currently walking with the Lord in our family( my side) for now and we have been praying for them to come to church (as they typically are casual catholics) After the service both my grandpa & grandma confessed their desire to stand. Neither of them did, but maybe next time. We had some amazing conversation that night. The Spirit is moving. Praise God.

i love you guys

i guess everyone is feeling a little sentimental right now. i just had to say that i really love you guys! it's so much fun to get to hang out with all of you every week and to be able to be a part of all of your lives!! when sandy and tony announced that they were having a baby i didn't just feel like "someone in my small group is having a baby," i felt like some of my really good friends are having a baby! i just feel so excited to be a part of these things! chad and i got to share my pregnancy with all of you and our little guy loves you all now, we got to see amber and stephen get married last april and this year we will get to see a new little pitney baby. it just feels like THIS is the church. i love to hear rich speak, but i get to live the church with all of you. i am really looking forward to seeing what this new year will bring in all of our lives. the Lord is doing some great things that i think are made even greater by the community he gives us to share in them. i appreciate all of you.

mary

hey all, just wanted to say how great it's been to feel so welcomed into your group. We hope you have a great and safe new years. thanks again and remember that jesus is great in 2008. ha.

Oh little town of Evansville...

Hey everyone! I finally got invited to the blog and it's pretty exciting!!! Anyway, we're in Evansville doing all sorts of awesome family stuff. I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas again. I hope you all have some great family time, and hopefully some time to sit and be quiet in all this buzz. Tony's taking the dogs out right now and I sit alone in the hotel room, and it's pretty amazing. So many people are stressing over last minute shopping and everything, and I get to just sit here and relax. Life is good. I'm so happy to have all of you to share this good life with!

& one more thing

Since I couldnt say it wednesday to y'all... May everyone have the merriest of merry Christmases. I feel very grateful and blessed to be even a small part of your lives. And though i am not very regular on my attendance, i have not had such good fellowship and worship with fellow Christian friends in quite a long time. You are all wonderful.
Much love, Lindsay

big post

Really wish I could've been at the party :( Looks like it was fun from the photos Dan took. Luca woke up on his birthday (wednesday) sick and is still sick today though no fever. Dr. Ben said it looks like it's just gastrointestinal distress. But yes, really wanted to be there... and was planning on it.
Positively, (Stephen's blog reminded me) I've been listening to one of my favorite Christmas albums and wanted to post the lyrics of a song (maybe two) that I love. They're classics and played often but nevertheless, sometimes reading lyrics and not just hearing them can awaken one's sensibilities...these reminding us he wants only our hearts and what we can give him. We need not try to have and be what we are not before our Lord.

In The Bleak Midwinter (my favorite rendition features Chrissie Hynde with the Blind Boys of Alabama) :

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago.

Our God, heav'n cannot hold him
Nor earth sustain;
Heav'n and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign;
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.

Enough for him, whom cherubim
Worship day and night
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and Archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and Seraphim
Thronged the air.
But only his mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him-
Give my heart.

Christina Rossetti (1872) And

Little Drummer Boy
Come they told me
A newborn King to see pa rum...
Our finest gifts we bring
To lay before the King

So to honor him
When we come

Little baby
I am a poor boy too
I have no gifts to bring (for you)
That's fit to give the King

Shall I play for you
On my drum?

Mary nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for him
I played my best for him
rum pumpumpum...

Then He smiled at me
Me and my drum

XMAS Portraits

in case you missed my email you can view and download your portraits from the party here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielstarcher/

:-D

I am feeling very sentimental right now. Looking out my window watching the snowfall and listening to Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs. As I listen to his songs some of them are goofy and fun songs that he did, but then he sings some of the old classics O' Come O' Come Emmanuel, The First Noel, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I love that line God and Sinners reconciled. This time of can be so overwhelming with the shopping, families, and expectations of how this season should be. I thought of that God and Sinners reconciled, and how awesome it is to be restored with the One who made us. The One who gave his Son to us so that we may find peace that lasts forever. I speak a blessing of peace over us all. And not just that peace in a genric worldly way, but in a way that will change you and compel you to share that peace with other human beings. Remember that you are reconciled to the one who gives life. I suggest that you listen to the old hymns of Christmas and reflect on the truth that is revealed. Merry Christmas!

alright, i got it to work for me.

Finally, I'm a blogger :) This is a test for me. I feel so computerified. it's weird. anyhow, thanks for the resend stephen. it worked the second time around for me (obviously). sorry i missed wednesday- i will be there for the white elephant party though- i love elephants. especially white ones. see you guys soon!
Linds

come on

ok, come on guys. you have to at least look at the blog or else this is never going to work.

Booyeah- new bloggity blog. Can't wait to read it up when there are some more posts.
I also can't wait for our annual white elephant party (sorry you were so freaked out last year alisha...but i can tell you one thing about this group...you might as well get used to the weirdness.). I really can't wait to wear an amazing christmas sweater...and if i can find a christmas dickie for chad you can bet he will be wearing it. talk to you guys soon...

mary

Why Blog?

I am so very thankful for all of you and your wiliness to serve one another. This is place that can post things that have been going on, words of knowledge, poems, stories, events that we can do together, prayers, etc. I encourage all of us to post through each week to keep us connected as a group.  

Peace

Stephen