Thoughts from the weekend

Thoughts from the weekend:

I know that it might be sounding like a "broken record" (but a good one) but yesterday we had another wonderful session of worship with the Father. I get excited when I see God's people seeking God. Connecting with Him. Both services were filled with people longing to "draw near unto God."

My prayer is that we continue to increase our hunger and intensity for more of His Spirit in our lives.

I also sensed a "good spirit" amongst our church family yesterday. I could feel it and sense it. Wonderful stuff.

God is beginning to do a great work.

And...of course the Super Bowl last night.

Our small group met at Gary and Joyce Arvins house last night (thanks Gary and Joyce!)for a Super Bowl party. Their Sunday morning Bible class joined us as well. Great food, wonderful sharing with others from our church family, and a great game on top of it.

We were eating well, when Dan Miroballi brought over some pizzas that he made (he is a pizza maker supreme). He even brought one over for me, personally. Am I blessed or what?

My prediction was 20-17, Steelers winning, so I wasn't far off. A lot of us were rooting for the Cardinals because of Kurt Warner, and the fact that they hadn't won a championship in 61 years.

When Fitzgerald scored the touchdown with a couple minutes left, I must confess that I thought the Cardinals had won the game. But the Cardinal's defensive line couldn't get to Roethlisberger during the last Steeler drive for the touchdown.

I thought James Harrison blew it after interception Warner's pass and scoring the touchdown by punching a player later on in the game.

Probably, the better team won, but what a game! I was hoarse afterward.

Some good things are happening with our small groups. I have contacted one of the leaders of small groups at Willow Creek. We are having him come in May to share with everyone in our church family who is currently in a small group.

He will be back in late August to share with our life group leaders and hosts. He also networked me with a group of small group pastors from the southland that meet monthly which I will be attending.

If you are reading this and not currently attending one of our life groups here at Stone, I encourage you to try one (or several) of them out. You won't regret it!

This whole thing is about people. People relating to others and helping others. Berth Von Suttner once said, "after the verb "to love," "to help" is the most beautiful verb in the world."

Jesus said it best, "we give, we receive". I read recently that, "you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." That is so true.

Do you enjoy helping others?

To help others I must helping others a priority. When I come into a situation, even a Kingdom situation, my first thought must be, "whom can I minister to," instead of "who can minister to me"?

I must become aware of other people's needs. All of us have needs. We are all busy. But we can't meet a need that we don't know exists. They are all around us.

People are hurting. People have needs. To help other we must find out what those needs are and care. Sometimes it comes from listening to our hearts. Other times it comes from just paying attention to what's going on around us.

I must be willing to take a risk and reach out.

Californian Thomas Weller is affectionately known as "The San Diego Highwayman." Since 1966, the former mechanic has been driving the freeways of L.A. in a heavily modified, white 1955 Ford station wagon—reminiscent of the "Ectomobile'" from the movie Ghost Busters—in an effort to help stranded motorists.

Weller doesn't make any money off of his services, though he doesn't work for free. Whenever he finishes helping someone change a tire or refill an overheated radiator, he hands the rescued motorist a business card that requests they do the same for someone else when given a chance.

Weller's efforts at a "pay it forward" system seem to be working. When he once pulled over to help a motorist, another man had beaten him to it. When Weller asked his fellow Good Samaritan why he had stopped to help the driver in distress, he told Weller that someone had done the same thing for his wife a few weeks earlier. "And by the way," the gentleman said to Weller as he smiled, "I want to thank you for that!"