Our pastor Michael and his family moved in next door yesterday, and we're excited to have them close by now. While the team were unpacking and putting things away in the house, Amy took her two boys and our neighbor's son Jesse to walk to Jesse's house (about a quarter mile down the road). On the way there, they surprised a mother bear who came up out of the culvert where she'd been drinking, and then two cubs popped up behind her. Jesse's lived up here his whole life, so he yelled at the bear -- and she looked at him for a moment, then turned and walked down the hill. So, there ARE bears up here, even though we haven't seen them since we moved in. This happened only a few hundred yards from our house. Michael was thrilled to know the bears are here, because he's been wanting to see one ever since moving to Colorado. Now I expect him to start putting bait out to lure them in! I will say that knowing the bears are around makes us more hesitant to let Jacqueline and her friends play outside on their own - they would make a nice mid-day snack for a hungry bear. Actually - I know the risk of an unprovoked attack by a black bear are pretty slim; the greater risk would come from cougars, and they seem to be even rarer around here than bears. I guess this is all part of learning to live safely with wildlife all around us.
It is now possible to download the sermon I preached at Journey from itunes: you would just need to do a search for "Michael Cheshire", which will bring up the site for Journey Community Church, and my message is called "Joseph #5". I'll be preaching again the first two weeks in July, and the first three weeks in August. I don't yet know what I want to preach on - and it's easy for me to get stressed-out trying to choose a theme for a sermon. Funny how worried and anxious we can get over things that are of little "weight" in life. I'm not saying that choosing the right message isn't important (who wants to look like an idiot in front of the whole church, right?), but one of my greatest struggles has always been letting fear and anxiety dominate my waking (and sometimes my sleeping) hours. My brother John and I had a long phone conversation about this very topic a couple of days ago - of what it means to truly rest in the Lord and His deep love and care for us. John taught the adult Sunday School class at his church last week, and he asked the class what the opposite of "Rest" is. Most of them replied, "Work". But by the Biblical definition, the real antonym of Rest is Fear, not work. It's fear that robs us of enjoying the rest that Jesus promised us - rest here, now, in this life; all the time, in all circumstances. He's already clearly promised us that He will take care of what we need to eat, to drink, and to wear (in other words, all of our daily needs). He's also promised His perfect peace in the midst of trouble, and that He wants to be yoked with us so that He can bear the weight of our burdens for us. But fear is the greatest enemy of our peace. I worry about how we'll make it financially if Storm Guides in not a success. I also worry about our girls, and how they are being influenced by the world around them, or how we'll pay for the house renovations we still need to do, or whether I'm really qualified to serve as a pastor of Journey Church. . . and the list goes on. Perhaps the most disheartening thing of all is that when I look around me, I can't think of more than a couple of Christians who seem to genuinely experience this supernatural peace on a daily basis. Most of us live harried, stressful, weary lives that are filled up with activities and busyness... never really grasping what Jesus is offering to us, and what He in fact promised to provide: a life free from worry and anxiety, and full of faith and expectancy for how God is going to take care of all our needs. "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS will be given to you as well."
Yesterday was our 19th anniversary, and I would have to call it a day of Walking in the Light. Daph and I had a difficult and emotional conversation with Karine in the afternoon that ended very well, but it was one of those conversations that you pray you'll only need to have once in your parenting career. We're realizing that as our girls move into their older teenage years, our role changes from that of a parent/disciplinarian to more the role of a coach. I am so grateful for how Karine responded, and I can see now that the Lord had been preparing her heart to receive what we needed to share as coming from hearts full of love for her, and as a warning from the Lord for her to make an "about face" now while she can.
Then last night Daph and I went out for dinner at a quaint mountain Inn called the "Brook Forest Lodge" not too far from where we live. As we started in on our main course, she asked me a question about how I thought I will be able to handle Mike's (our pastor) strong character - could I stand up to him and disagree without backing down if necessary? I did not respond well, and our conversation degenerated into an argument . . . and there went our romantic anniversary dinner. After we got home we talked for a while longer, and I finally suggested that we practice walking in the light, and go discuss the whole issue with Mike and Amy then and there (since they now live next door). We did, and once again the Lord brought healing, reassurance and a deepening of our friendship with them. As hard as it often feels to speak the truth to one another in love, and to walk in honesty and light - the end result is the kind of unity that the Lord longs for His children to experience. It's this unity that gives us the power to charge the gates of hell and to overcome the evil one, and to see the wonders of God's supernatural intervention in the church every day.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
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