Saturday, December 31, 2011

Got an email this week with some brilliant ideas for around-the-house!  Check 'em out on my Pinterest page ("Makin' life a little easier" board)!  (And don't judge my posts too harshly, I just joined...)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Merry Christmas from MSC KidSpace!

Be sure to check out some fun KidSpace photos from Sunday!


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Parents,
Check out some fun apps for your smartphone! 
Scripture memorizing, movie reviews, story reading, trivia & more!
Click the "KidSpace Parents" tab for details!
Parents!
Got a flare for drama?  Like to engage kids in a game?  Enjoy baking?  Gifted in worship? 
We have got a place for you to give a little time in the New Year at KidSpace! 

A lot of our regular KidSpace volunteers will be traveling over the holidays and we have a few fun spots to fill if you want to jump in to KidSpace for a week or two!  We have helper openings on Jan. 1 and Jan. 8!
Here's the general schedule for KidSpace this holiday season:
Dec. 25 - NO CHURCH OR KIDSPACE
Jan. 1 - ONE service at 10 a.m.
Jan. 8 - regular services (9 and 11 a.m.)
Lots of places to get plugged in!!
Contact Rachel (
rachel@msclawrence.com) with questions!
Sign up to help here!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Wow!  What a set of messages by Pastor Ray yesterday! 
All morning I have been asking myself some hard questions....  One day we all will stand before His beautiful face and give an account for our time, talent, money, bodies, and hearts.   How can I look HIM in the eye and give even one of my excuses... "I was too tired... I just didn't have the time... I thought I deserved it..."  How can any of my excuses hold water?
I want to hear Him say "WELL done"!!  
But how do we pay the price?  How do I give what I have so carefully reserved for myself?  
What if we held nothing back?  What would BECOME of us?? 

If you missed the messages, be sure to check it out here: The Cost of Discipleship.  

Thursday, November 17, 2011

"Ask and you shall receive"
Hannah was married to a man who loved her, but who had a second wife who tormented Hannah because of her barrenness.  One year, when her family went to offer sacrifices, Hannah begged God for a child, whom she offered to give to God as a "thank you" if God would honor her request. 
            God DID "remember her request" (1 Samuel 1:19), and Hannah soon gave birth to a son, Samuel, who she gave to Eli the priest's care as she had vowed she would.  The Bible says that "though only a boy, [Samuel] was the LORD's helper" (1 Samuel 2:18).  Even as a boy, Samuel maintained integrity when the sons of Eli were treating God's required sacrifices with contempt and seducing the young women assisting in the temple. " As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel did was wise and helpful."  God also broke His long silence during those days and began to speak regularly to Samuel.   Samuel became a priest even though he wasn't in the "right family" so to speak (God actually changed the FAMILY LINE of the priesthood at this time!), and became the one who anointed David as king!  Also, in response to her sacrifice of Samuel, God allowed Hannah to have three more sons and two daughters because of her willingness to give her first son to God.
            Maybe that was more info than you wanted, but I think that we should not forget how much God loves us and values our coming to Him!  Like He did for Hannah, God changes things on our behalf when we ask in faith!!  And God's answer went way beyond Hannah's request for a son!  If you have some time this week, read through Ephesians chapter 1 and ruminate for a while on God's love for us!  He gives us a love that is scandalously beyond logic, expectation, our deserving (IF in fact we deserve anything), or even our capacity to understand the depth of it!  His contract (Covenant) with us is so rich, so full, so magnanimous, so faithful that it borders on ridiculous!   I don't mean to imply that God always give us what we want, BUT He IS faithful to us, He LOVES us, "works out everything according to His plan", and gives us the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead!  Of COURSE He hears us when we pray, and will give us justice when we cry out to Him!
            You are so vital!! Not JUST to KidSpace or as a parent, but to the family of God and the work He is doing on earth! 

Monday, November 14, 2011

KidSpace kids will be singing We Three Kings (first 2 verses) in "adult church" on Sunday, December 11 (both services)! 
Be sure to be practicing at home!  For song lyrics click here.