Summit VIII Christian Alliance for Orphans

I imagine there are many people who are wondering:  What happened to the Summit VIII people?  Well, we returned from the mountain top full of information, motivation and huge amounts of spiritual blessings.  However, our earthly bodies are fatigued.  We arrived home at about 3 pm on Saturday.  After the reunion with our kids we took a nap.  All the walking, praising and grazing took it's toll. 

First of all the Saddleback Church campus is huge and located on a hill side. There was a lot of walking up and down stairs and ramps.  The worship center is at the top of the hill. with several 3 story buildings and large tent like structures.  They have 5 restaurants and the biggest outside grill I have ever seen.  Our schedules were very busy. Of course we wanted to take in everything that we could.  This meant meetings during our lunch schedules and quick dinners, so we could get onto our meetings.

Keith and I are so glad that we went together.  We have both been moved and changed.  Our commitment to Orphan Sunday has grown.  Francis Chan was the key note speaker on Thursday night and Steven Curtis Chapman gave a concert on Friday night.  We arrived home on Saturday and resumed our busy lives.  Changed for the better. 

We met a bunch of people there and I will post about them in the future.  The greatest change will probably be from Keith as he has agreed to He and I working together to be California regional coordinators for Orphan Sunday.  We will be working with the Central Valley Christian Alliance for Orphans on an event Nov. 3, 2012 in Fresno, Ca. and spreading the ministry of Orphan Sunday basically every where we can.  If you would like information about Orphan Sunday, regardless of where you live, I would be happy to share the vision with you. If you would like to set up and event or share with your church in the central valley of California, we have teams of people who would be happy to speak to you, your church leadership, or your congregation about the Christian
Alliance for Orphans and Orphan Sunday. I will be placing a Link to the national web site to make it easy for anyone who would like to go straight to the Alliance for information.

Feel Like a Failure?

This morning   I felt like a failure. I just could not complete that list of “to dos.”  But, why on earth would I feel that way?  Last week I worked every day, took myself or a kid to a doctor appointment every day , spent hours on the phone arranging for my daughter to see a specialist at Stanford University Hospital, took Lilly Rose to Rainbow pledge, supervised the Friday church youth group, attended my sister-in-laws mother’s day luncheon, taught Sunday school, met with the church leadership group, did m-o-u-n-d-s of laundry, spent time with my son, daughter-in-law, and chased my grandson around for a while.  Then, I went grocery shopping and made Mother’s day dinner.  This week continues on in the same manor.  Busy, busy, more appointments and meetings, work and hours on the computer…

So why then, do I feel like a failure?  We may actually, according to Kaiser, thrive.  But I believe that is a relative term, thrive.  I mean look at the weeds in my garden.  They “thrive.”  Look at the rat that wants to invade my roof, he seems to thrive.  So, if you accomplish more, do you “thrive?”

There is a way that seems right to a man.  But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

The truth is simple, although the world would tell us differently; we cannot assign value to our lives according to our ability to produce a product.  Our value is established by our relationship to God.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

So now I take my rest in the Lord.  Being reminded that no matter what I do or do not do, I am valued by the Lord for just being me, and loving Him.