Couldn't resist....

I've been enjoying time off not to relax, but to get lots of work done around our house that I have been unable to get done for a while now. It has been good!

One of the things that I really wanted to do this week is to get some topsoil/compost for my garden area and begin the process of building up the soil and gardening once again. I have missed gardening, but got frustrated due to the poor soil quality. Yesterday, Rhonda Daley gave me a tip on a guy who makes his own garden soil/compost from chicken and horse manure among other things. I called Pete yesterday and was unable to go there then, but went by today to get a load and man am I pleased! It is the nicest looking compost I have ever seen. NO smell, little clumping. LOTS of good rich nutrients for my garden! I spread it this morning on my garden area and once my rototiller gets back from the shop, I will till it in and plant a garden, then this fall, I will get another load.

If anyone is interested in getting some garden soil/compost.... Pete Layfield is the place 410.202.6265. He lives on a farm just off Spearin Rd. His prices are GREAT and on top of that he is a DELIGHTFUL person!

Outta here....

Signing out of the blogsphere for a while.... on vacation at home and taking a break from this blog until Monday June 1.

Mentoring my nephew....

Enjoyed some time mentoring my nephew, Ben on Saturday. We went turkey hunting together. It was a great morning! We heard 7 different gobblers. Six nearby (within 50 yards) and one on the other side of the farm. We even had one really nice longbeard come in to our decoys, but it saw Ben move or heard him click the safety and got out of there quickly!

We moved several times trying to get closer, but were unsuccessful. Though I was able to use lots of things about our time to teach Ben woodsmanship skills and turkey hunting facts. He is learning quickly and really seemd to enjoy our time together in the woods. I know I sure enjoyed spending the morning with him!

It was awesome on Saturday at my parent's.... when I was a kid, we NEVER saw or heard a turkey (they weren't around) and then about 13 years ago, they appeared and now on Saturday, we had 5 people on 5 farms hunting them with LOTS of turkeys on each farm. Incredible story of reintroducing the turkey on the shore.

Thought for the day and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that....

"Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow." Martin Luther

Proud of My Younger Sister!

Today, my sister, Rebecca joined a long line of Hutchison's who have graduated from Salisbury University; starting with our grandmother, Caroline Hutchison in 1933 from the then Salisbury Normal School. I am so proud of my sister who a number of years ago, found herself being a single parent and moving back to the farm. She then decided to get her Master's degree and began a course of study at SU... which came to an end today as she crossed the stage and moved her tasle! Being a single parent is hard enough, but working a job and traveling an hour each way to go to class makes it harder. And then to get A's and B's... well that is just AWESOME!

Ofcourse, Rebecca would be the first to tell you that she couldn't have done it without the help of our parents who have done so much! Thanks Mom and Dad! And Congrats Sis!

Heading toward a much needed vacation....

I am long past ready for a vacation! In fact I wish I could take a couple weeks in a row off. I've been in ministry for nearly 20 years and never had a sabbatical and am just now feeling like one would be very helpful. Nothing harder than the weekly grind of preparing a new message that engages people and helps God's transformation take place in our lives.

I read a comment recently that I agree with... someone said, being a pastor is like giving birth on Sunday, then on Monday you find out that you are pregnant again! I kinda feel that way a lot lately.

Still wanna give the rest of my life to Community of Joy and have absolutely no interest in going anywhere else! There is a lot to be said for long time pastorates! Sharon and I have been here for 10 years in October and it feels like we are just now hitting our stride! Don't wanna do anything but enhance that!

Gotta Laugh...

Gotta laugh because it is so sad and that's all you can do but laugh!

Just got my driver's license renewed at the MVA. In the process, they told me that my address was wrong. Now the sign at the end of the street says Kearny Kourt. It has said that for the entire 10 years that I have lived here and it has said that for years before, I moved to town. All my mail comes to Kearny Kourt. But because the MVA now links online directly to the Post Office and they say that address is unknown... my address is wrong. They have it as KearnEy cOURT. How sad. I asked them to look it up in the phone book and to look at my check... but the only option I had was to go talk to the post office and then come back and pay another $30 if I want it changed. Or bring two bills that are delivered to this address and pay another $30.

I laughed and said... I DON'T CARE what you list it as...

So sad that they would think the post office would know what our street name is! They did one time... but someone probably typed the wrong name and now it is where I live!

Part 2

Felt really good about the sermon last Sunday and had LOTS of affirmation of it. Was all prepared to go another direction this week... but as I pray and listen... I feel a strong compulsion to do a part 2.

So, this week, we will look at how we cultivate GOOD soil in our lives and what we do with the path's, rocks, and thorns that are present in our lives and inhibit the production of God fruit in our lives.

For reference, Matthew 13:1-19 and 18-23 is the parable that we began looking at last week. It is a parable of a sower, but it is also a parable of soils. In Jesus' parable, there are 4 types of soil. Typically, we think that each soil type is a person. But the truth is that all 4 types of soil are present in each of our lives! And we need to identify the soil type and then work to make it better.

Last night, a friend of mine, who was looking at my sorry garden, said... why don't you go get some topsoil and build it up. And even on Sunday when I was preaching in the second worship gathering, I think I heard someone in the back say... you could build it up. So, this week, we will look at how we cultivate good soil in our lives so that we can produce God fruit!

Coming this Fall....

Coming this Fall to our very own Ministry Center at Community of Joy... a Saturday Night worship gathering....

Please add it to your prayer list and consider wether you want to be part of such a gathering and who you might invite.

I have long wanted to offer a Saturday night worship gathering, because I think it is a great time frame for reaching out! It will be a contemporary music style with a very casual dress code! Thanks to our very own Joy Miller who will be the initial worship leader!

It's an exciting move for us!

A GREAT weekend!

What an awesome weekend this was...

Two blessing teams out in the community yesterday....

And today, received total of 11 into membership at Community of Joy. Three by baptism... check out our cattle trough baptistry!

CoJ Blessing Teams in Action....

Yesterday, while Sharon and I attended our mandatory Ethics Training.... two teams from Community of Joy Blessed our community.

23 people prepared and served a meal at God's Kitchen to 117 people. Many more contributed financially and with food items. The cost for that effort was only $99.21!!!!

24 people participated in the Courageous Christopher 5K Run, Walk, Stroller Strut which donated the total entry fee to benefit the Everybody's Playspace Playground at Pinehurst Elementary School. This playspace will be handicap accessible.

What a neat thing! We are blessed by God to bless others!

What's most important?

The following is taken from Wayne Cordeiro's book (Leading on Empty)...

"Eighty five percent of what you do anyone can do. For example, anyone can return phone calls, have a job, attend a meeting, or interact with customers.

Ten percent of what you do, anyone with some training can do.

But 5 percent of what you do, ONLY YOU can do!

This 5 percent is what's most important! This is what others will remember about you. This is what God holds us responsible for...

+ only you can be the father or mother to your children... no one else.

+ only you can be the spouse God expects you to be.

+ only you can keep yourself healthy.

+ only you are responsible to keep yourself inspired.

+ only you can decide your attitude and disposition toward life.

So, what is most important in your life? Once you determine what that is... concentrate on spending more time doing what is most important and less time doing the things that others can do.

For those that are interested, Wayne publishes a neat Life Calendar that helps keep these things before you on a daily basis. It is available for $2 plus shipping from www.lifejournal.cc

It's been one of those weeks....and ....

It has been a FULL week and it isn't over yet! Got lots to do in the office tomorrow in preparation for Sunday. Got a mandatory meeting for Pastors in New Windsor MD (3 hours away) on Saturday til 1:30 and a dessert fellowship at 7 on Sat. and 2 worship gatherings on Sunday that will include 2 baptisms and receving a total of 10 members at Community of Joy!

Because of the week it has been, I haven't posted much ... my friend, Steve, reminded me of that tonight... he says I am slacking... so, Steve this post is for you!

A couple quotes on growth...

"It's not the opening in the gallery that makes the painter; its the repetitious actions in the studio." James Hillman

"Nature does not demand that we be perfect. It requires only that we grow." Josh Liebman

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living." Gail Sheehy

"I am not what I want to be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I am going to be, but thank God, I am not what I used to be." Lou Holtz

What do you think, Steve?

Thought for the day....

"A life of faith is built on action; but a life of fear is built on the avoidance of action" Wayne Cordeiro

YEAH... it's fixed!

The Comcast guy just left and he got our cable fixed quickly. It was exactly as I suspicioned. I cut the cable (in 4 places in 12 inches) while planting a bush on Saturday.

He was a very nice guy... his favorite line was one I want to adopt and live by... he said, "I work for smiles!"

Imagine what a different world we would live in if all of us lived by that philosophy... that means when the line is going slow at the store...we smile. When our friend lets us down, we smile. When we see someone having a bad day, we do something to make them smile. When we pass by someone in the mall...we smile at them, so that they smile at us!

Smiles are contagious and they greatly improve the flavor of the world!

Some thoughts on Trials...

From Wayne Cordeiro's book, "Leading on Empty".... "the way we view our problem oftentimes IS the problem!"

"The fact is, where you stand will always affect what you see!"

"What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity." J. Sidlow Baxter.

Another Flashback to Guatemala....

Enjoyed hearing about Chiapas Mexico Coffee Growers on Friday night at Common Grounds Coffee House.... the pictures reminded me of the visit we made to Guatemala. Especialy enjoyed out time with the family that my dad has been helping in Xela and our visit with Becky and Aaron in Union Victoria...

One Year Ago today....

Began my two week journey with my father in Guatemala.... what a great trip and learning experience that was... I blogged about it then and when I returned.

This night a year ago, we were in Guatemala City with our friend, Oscar!

These pics are of the presidential palace and of course our friend and tour guide Oscar Sanchez!

Four Life Courses... Must Choose One...

Another interesting thought from Wayne Cordeiro's book (Leading on Empty)...

Wayne says that there are four basic courses by which we can live... "every life follows a set of rules, a default of ideals that may have been caught more than taught."

1. A Life of Reaction.

With this course... we plod forward until something forces us to change direction. Most of life is spent reacting to events and happenings in our lives.

2. A Life of Conformity.

With this course we live according to the view of the crowd. We float along on the current of popular opinion.

Author and professor Leo Buscaglia said, "The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position."

3. A Life of Independence.

With this course of action we live in the illusion of autonomy.

4. A Life of Intentionality.

With this course of action we live according to choices we make. "If you choose to win, you have to achieved half the victory. If you do not choose, you have gained your defeat."

What course are you living on?

An Awesome Prayer....

Found this prayer in a book that I finished yesterday by Wayne Cordeiro (Leading on Empty: Refilling your tank and renewing your passion). It is a ancient Franciscan prayer...

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, hard hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live from deep within your heart where God's Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world and in your neighborhood, so that yo will courageously try what you don't think you can do, but in Jesus Christ you'll have the strength necessary to do.

May God bless you so that you remember we are all called to continue God's redemptive work of love and healing in God's place, in and through God's name, in God's Spirit, continually creating and breathing new life and grace into everything and everyone we touch.

Thought for the day...

"Problems don't destroy you. Unresolved problems do." - Wayne Cordeiro

Ladies Fellowship Tea...

The Ladies Tea was a great event from what I am told... thought it would be fun to share some pictures...