Pray without ceasing!

I have been really challenged in my own life lately that I need to spend more and better time in prayer. I don't think I'm the only person who is so quick to say "I'll pray for you", and then it can slip my mind as the days and weeks move on.

Each person I know has issues big and small in their lives: family needs, job concerns, health problems, you name it. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be faithful to lift these requests to the Father.

I'm the kind of person that needs a good organization system...so I'm in the midst of developing a prayer list/calendar that will help me keep track of all the things I should be praying for.

If you have something specific you'd like me to be praying for you about, please e-mail me. The only "catch": you have to keep me updated on how God is working in your life in that situation :)

Steven Curtis Chapman wrote this song many years ago (wow, that makes me feel old)... here's the words that will be ringing in my mind today...

Tim


LET US PRAY

Let us pray, let us pray,
everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day,
it is the right time.
For the Father above,
He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us,
so let us pray.
(CCLI 184080)

CBC is closed today (3/9/08!)

Due to a level 3 snow emergency in Clark County, Cornerstone is closed today, March 9. All services for the day are canceled.

March = College Basketball = Vacation

This is not a news flash for most of you, but I'm a huge sports fan. Especially college basketball. Especially in March.

(If this WAS a news flash to you, please complete the following steps:

1. Read the March 2007 entries on this blog.

2. Make my acquaintance :) Just kidding...but I don't do too well hiding that I'm a sports nut :)

Anyway, March is the month college basketball tournaments happen. Between cheering for Cedarville in the NAIA national tournament (I'll be keeping track of the action in Missouri from many miles away...and occasionally calling my sister for updates, since she's making the trek to Branson to watch the games in person) and following Purdue's action in the Big Ten and NCAA, things can be a little crazy and confusing.

Let me illustrate for you. On a perfectly calm Tuesday evening, my wife is grading papers on the couch while I am anxiously awaiting the outcome of two basketball games at the same time. I'm staring at Purdue on my muted big-screen TV...and listening to Cedarville's play-by-play on the phone. This occasionally causes me to yell something along the lines of "COME ON! PLAY DEFENSE!" (in Christian love, of course).

This, in turn, makes my wife's head snap up to look at the TV...which is on a commercial because I'm actually yelling at what I'm hearing, not what I'm watching. She shakes her head in confusion, pats me on the arm, and returns to her work with manipulated variables and whatever else she's teaching.

Thus the term "March madness".

This particular March has me more excited than most...because I will be attending parts of two tournaments I've never gone to before. My parents, Molly, and I will be in Indianapolis for the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Big Ten tournament next weekend. (Go Purdue!)

Then...as if we hadn't seen enough basketball, Molly and I will be spending spring break later this month in Houston, Texas. This will be a wonderful vacation of rest, relaxation, beach time, no stress, and...oh yeah, an NCAA regional :)

I may not be thrilled that it's still snowing here in March...but at least there's lots of hoops. I will return to my regularly scheduled sane self in approximately four weeks.

(If you doubted my sanity to begin with...please keep it to yourself :)

Thanks...bye for now!
Tim