CROSSCURRENTS - Larry Whittlesey

CROSSROADS MEN IN 2010

    
  
What will 2010 hold for us?  None of us can truly answer that question at this point, but we can look ahead to see where God may be taking us.   I’m excited about where I think God is taking our men’s ministry this year!

    We picked the name “CrossCurrents” for our ministry to men on purpose.  In the midst of the streams of our modern culture, with its’ emphasis on materialism, sexuality and compromise,  we want to develop a ministry that can encourage the men of our church to “swim upstream”.  Through social activities, men’s studies,  small groups,  regional conferences, service projects, and our annual men’s retreat,  in addition to worship services and other opportunities for grown and fellowship at the church, we want to offer something for every man!

   We have the chance to start the year off right at the Northwest Men’s Conference  January 29-30 right down I-205 at New Hope Community Church.  For just $35 ($20 for youth)  we will have the opportunity to join a couple of thousand other guys from the region in an incredible time of worship and challenge. Featured this year are Joe White, Mike Silva, Bill Perkins, and Donald Miller.  The price also includes the Saturday morning snack and a free book!

  I’m most excited about the long-awaited start of our weekly Men’s Fellowship we’re calling “SECOND MILE”.  We’ll gather for 75 minutes each Friday morning for a brief time of worship, a short challenge, and some intense smaller group table discussions of relevant issues that affect every man.  This is not “church”…..this is men learning to do life together in the real world!  Plan now to make this part of your Friday schedule from 6:30-7:15 AM starting February 12th in the Senior Center!

There will be a lot of other opportunities to gather for fun, service, and growth this year, including our retreat at Trout Creek in May 14-15!  I’m looking forward to sharing this  year with you. 

CAN YOU HEAR HIM NOW

    It was one of those awful, horrible, rotten days that just happen.  Everything had seemed to go wrong that day, her ongoing physical pain was a bit overwhelming, and then she got caught in the middle of a heart-wrenching emotional situation.  She had absorbed all she could take and felt like God had totally abandoned her.

    Before heading home to wrestle with her thoughts and anxieties she decided to stop by a local thrift store just to try to calm down.  She often visits such establishments looking for lost treasures in the midst of all the junk.  Little did she know when she walked into the store that day that she would find one that spoke directly to her need!   

    To fully grasp the situation you need to understand her. For the past 30+ years my wife Chris has been collecting  little figures called “Precious Moments”.  Her collection now tops 1200 and marks every significant moment of our life together as husband and wife.  Our home hosts an amazing collection of wide-eyed children dealing with “life” in all of its many facets.   These figurines are truly “precious” to her….they speak to her in ways that words could never replace.

    That’s when she saw it.  It was in a pile of miscellaneous junk on a shelf.  This particular figurine depicted a boy with tears running down his checks talking to God on a telephone. It’s titled, “Hello Lord, It’s Me Again”.  Chris has been looking for that figurine for over 20 years.  To her it represents an intimacy with God. Finding it on this terrible day spoke volumes to her.  It said  God knew what was going on in her life and He cared about her.  With tears running down her face she took it to the cashier, afraid to find out how much it would cost.  It is worth hundreds of dollars…….but the price was just $1.00!  God spoke loud and clear, reminding her that she was loved in a language she understood on a day when she needed it the most! It was like a personal love letter from God just for her. I can’t tell you the joy it brought to both of us as she told me the story when she got home.   

 These events remind me that we should all pay a little more attention to look around and see if God isn’t trying to send us a “love letter”  of our own!  Perhaps if we do we’ll hear Him talking direcly to us when we need it!