Arisen Ministries Wedding Officiant

Wednesday Word: Hanging Your Hat on History Old people! The aren't as slow as they seem! Edit: Respect your elders. You could learn something!... Learn from their Mistakes: If I had only learned sooner from half of what my elders had told me, I could have avoided a lot of headaches. I am quick to ignore and fast to act. I am the type of person that really appreciates the "DO NOT" directions at the begining of the lesson before i get bored or start imagining how i can do it better. When i was a kid i vividly remember the lockout tagout tag on my dad's work bag. It was his picture with bold bright red lettering that read: "DO NOT OPERATE MY LIFE IS ON THE LINE!" It fascinated me, and was the first thing i remember about my interest in workplace safety. Many years later i earned a degree in safety and began a career path that has allowed me to protect and save countless other peoples lives. When are mentors/elders are not afraid to admit the mistakes that they made we can and should learn from them. Learn from their Wisdom: Our elders have gained so much wisdom in their lives from a lifetime of experience that it’s almost a crime to not share it with someone younger. While working at the retirement community and nursing home I began to learn and appreciate how much my elders have to share. I loved talking with them, and i would always be amazed and enlightened, drinking it up like liquid gold. SO MUCH WISDOM! I learned so much from my elders. On the day that I stop learning or feel I have arrived, then God may be finished with me because we’re commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (2nd Pet 3:18). Friends, I can't stress this enough, you are not done learning, you will not be done until your life here on earth is done! Do not stop studying. Knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom because knowledge applied rightly makes it wisdom. Learn from their Experience: What has happened before will happen again because there is nothing really new under the sun (Eccl 1:9), so why not tap the experience our elders have acquired over a lifetime? When you are facing indecision or going into a place or experience that you’ve never been through before, why not ask an elder about what they did or how they handled it? It might be just as important that they tell you how not to do it as it is how to do it. This is gold! If you think you are the only one who has been down this road before you have not been paying attention, it has had many travelers before you. Nothing is new, yet. Learn from their Biblical Knowledge: I read the Bible, but one of my weaknesses is memorization, i know it is in there, and how to use it, but i can't quote it, or tell you where it is. During Bible study last week i was talking about a friend of mine that has a very special talent for quoting and placing scripture (Heather Stump :) ). I pray someday my wisdom will be expanded in this way! My husband and my mother-in-law both have a lot more knowledge of the Bible than I do, so when I am faced with a perplexing or difficult biblical issue of which I can’t find an answer in the Bible, or i am not sure how to apply my knowledge correctly I ask them. Since Seth is a pastor he has usually dealt with it before and he can point me to the Bible verses that I need to read in order to know what to do in certain situations. My mother-in-law is like a walking Bible concordance and is a great resource for us to have when we need to know what to do, she always has a perfectly placed Bible reference that is on point. Learn from their Corrections: I love the proverbs for their wisdom and one of the best verses about learning from the correction of our elders is found in Proverbs 27:6 which says, Let a righteous man strike meit is a kindness; let him rebuke meit is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. It sounds painful doesn’t it, but we all need to be corrected at times and I am certainly no exception. We all need to but put in our place, or told that we are wrong. If we don't know we are wrong we never search for what is right. As a good parent i am great at yelling/telling my kids when they are wrong. My mother and a handful of my very good friends have the honor of being allowed to tell me when i am wrong. When you are wrong, the last thing you want is a bunch of the people closest to you to be wrong with you! It is an honor to be in the position to make or show correction. Conclusion: We all need a mentor but we also need to be mentoring others who are younger or newer in the faith. It’s discipling others because that’s what Jesus commanded the disciples to do; teach all nations to observe those things that He taught them (Matt 28:19-20) but we must also learn from our elder’s mistakes; we must learn from their wisdom; we must learn from their own experiences; we must learn from their biblical knowledge; and we must learn from their correcting us and believe me, I still need the wounds of a friend more than the kisses of an enemy. Don’t have a mentor? Find one? Know someone who needs a mentor? Be one! Photo caption: Dominic learning from the master (Nono)! The difference between the novice and the master is simply that the novice has not learnt, yet, how to do things in such a way that he can afford to make small mistakes. The master knows that the sequence of his actions will always allow him to cover his mistakes a little further down the line. It is this simple but essential knowledge which gives the work of a master carpenter its wonderful, smooth, relaxed, and almost unconcerned simplicity. The Carpenter's apprentice: Jeana Grebbien

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Robert and Stephanie Myers!

Wednesday Word: I don't need to "GO" to church Virtual vindication? Cyber church? Facebook friends? Omnipresent online?... As church attendance numbers fade across the nation and online services become very convenient (who doesn't love not getting ready in the morning or leaving the home?!), it's important to remember why church attendance for you and your family matters so much. You can't serve from your sofa. You can't have community of faith on your sofa. You can't experience the power of a room full of believers worshipping together on your sofa. Christians aren't consumers either. We are contributors. We don't watch. We engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We do life together! The church needs you. And you need the church. Wherever you are, find a local church where you and your family can be part of community and use your talents to advance the kingdom and reach others. To come alongside one another physically, not just through a screen. While I'm grateful for technology to keep people connected that can't physically come to a facility or need to be away, it's absolutely not like being in the building. Never will be. Yes, church on the sofa is nice. But it'll never be the same as church in the sanctuary. It’s not about whether or not you go to church. We are called to BE the church to worship God with other believers, to hear His Word, and to encourage one another in the faith. Whether or not you should attend church isn’t the issue. If you’re going to church every week, listening to a sermon, and then simply driving home you aren’t fellowshipping with other believers the way God intended. In fact, you are missing one of the most crucial reasons we go to church in the first place. We are called to BE the church! Be The Church is a verb. It’s alive and active. It’s a bright guiding star in the dark. Unchanging. #bethechurch. ***I realize there are those of you who truly have to manage your physical safety or the safety of someone you love. This isn’t for you. Unfinished and imperfect: Jeana Grebbien

Wednesday Word: I need you Sister! Life is a lot. We should not walk alone. We need Godly friendships with each other. So that we may be there for each other, b...uild each other up, encourage each other and pray for each other. We should be able to go to our sister in Christ, confess what we are going thru with no fear of condemnation but trust our friend to love us, pray for us and help us refocus our eyes off the hard times and back on Christ. We don’t need someone to tell us what we want to hear, or what the world says is ok but what the Word of God says to be true. We all need that friendship. We all need that close bond. It’s a wonderful gift from God, not to be neglected. To have that sisterhood, where we can lean on each other, pray for each other, help each other stay focused on Christ. There’s no need to carry this life’s burdens alone. Reach out. Be intentional about creating and nurturing friendships. Take time to nurture the friendships God has perfectly orchestrated in your life. A little love and encouragement goes a long way. Send your friend a card, email or text message that says you are praying for her and add an encouraging bible verse. Make time in your schedule to have some fun and nurture the friendship with your sisters in Christ. God gave me you girls! Your battle buddy: Jeana Grebbien