One Hundred Crashing Jetliners Today?

Did you know that 26,575 children die every day of largely preventable causes related to their poverty?

Let that soak in for a minute...twenty six thousand, five hundred and seventy five children died yesterday, today, and will die tomorrow. That's equivalent to one hundred jetliners crashing every single day! At that rate almost ten million children will die in the course of one year.

I remember the day I read this gut-wrenching statistic in Richard Stern's book, "The Hole in Our Gospel". At first I thought it must have been a typo. That number seemed impossible...but in fact it's a painful reality in the world we live in.

As I pondered and cried, I resisted the temptation to ask "why?". Then it dawned on me that God knew my thoughts - even if I didn't verbalize them - so why not be totally honest and ask Him...

"God, why would you allow so many children to die every single day?"

"God, I know you care for them. This makes no sense to me."

"God, why won't you allow manna and quail to fall from the sky or fresh clean water to burst out of rocks like you did for the Israelites when they lived in the desert?"

" God, you can fix this problem so why don't you?"

I know these are really harsh questions to ask an Almighty God and I wish I could say He gave me some specific answers. I've come to realize that God chooses to keep some things hidden from us. After all, what kind of God would He be if we knew all His business? Why would need faith?

What is the truth in this situation:
God is all sovereign. He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. Nothing has or ever will happen outside of His plan. He sees everything and nothing escapes His reach. He is a loving God and each one of these children belong to Him.

What is the real challenge we face:
We live in a broken world with broken people. We face an enemy every day who's mission is to kill, steal, and destroy God's children. Our world is full of greed, jealously, and corruption. Our broken world is a result of original sin.

What do we need to focus on:
Our limitations in contrast to God's unlimited power and control of all the world's events. God is alive and in complete control of world hunger, poverty, disease and even death. We can't see all that God is doing and we can't see all that He will do. But we can be assured that He is God and will do what is right. Knowing this can give us confidence and hope in a very confusing world.


So what can I do?
I can pray for these children and their families. I can let others know what I've learned through Richard Stearn's book about world poverty. I can do my part by asking God how He wants me to help others locally, nationally, and globally. I can trust in my loving Jesus and rest in knowing that He has everything under control - even if it doesn't make sense to me.

" Twenty six thousand, five hundred and seventy five children die every day of largely preventable causes related to their poverty." Richard Stearn, The Hole in Our Gospel

Now that you know this statistic...what are you going to do?

Community Series-Week Three (Learning Together)

Hi Everyone,

I hope y'all are enjoying all this rain we're having. I'm tickled pink! My flowers and bushes were begging for water and now they're all pump, perky, and happy again. Rainy days make me want to curl up with a blanket, a great book, and a large mocha latte. What do you like to do on rainy days?

This week's theme in our Community Series is "Learning Together". If you didn't get a chance to make it to one of the weekend services, log onto the Cove Church to view the video.

Our family went to the Sunday morning 9:00 am service and it was filled to the gills! Almost every seat was taken and silently I was thinking to myself, "Gosh, all these people must be going to the Panthers game later on today!" It was really neat watching everyone get so pumped up about being in church! Looking at all those people also reminded me of why we need to be in a life group....so we can stay connected.

I hope everyone is enjoying life group and looks forward to Wednesday mornings as much as I do. I've loved getting to hear your individual stories and making new friends. Let's be sure to introduce yourselves to someone new this Wednesday so that we can continue to get to know one another better.

Here is the study guide for this week:

Study Guide:Learning Together

Be sure to complete the questions and bring them with you (along with your bible and pen) to group on Wednesday.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a post below.

See ya soon!

Community Series-Week Two (Everyone's Invited!)

Hi everyone,

Below is the link for this week's study guide questions:

http://www.covechurch.org/static/Community_Week2.pdf

If you didn't get a chance to make it to church this weekend, you can watch the services online at www.CoveChurch.org. Christian Chapman was our guest speaker and his message was incredible! It was taken from John 4 - the story about the woman at the well. I'm not sure if the video is up yet. If not, check again tomorrow.

Please be sure to read John 4, complete your study guide questions, and pray over last week's prayer requests to prepare for Wednesday morning's discussions.

If you have any questions or comments, please post them below.

See you at Libby's Wednesday morning. Remember we'll start at 9:30 sharp! Here's her address again if anyone will be joining us for the very first time this week.

Libby Cline
134 Shelter Cove Lane
Mooresville, NC 28117

Directions: Down Hwy 150 from Big Daddy's Restaurant. Across from Jokers, (The Catawba Queen). The subdivision name is Pinnacle Shores. If you get lost, call Libby at 704.662.6801

Cyber Hugs and prayers,

Community Series - Week One

Hi everyone,

I'm so glad you'll be joining me this Fall for the Cove's church wide study series on "Community". Mike's message this past weekend was a great reminder to me of just how much we need each other. Life gets crazy sometimes and it's comforting to know that we have each other to count on.

If you didn't make it to church this weekend, you can view Mike's message on the Cove's website at www.covechurch.org

Below is the link for this week's study guide questions. You'll want to print them out (only 2 pages) and answer the questions before coming to Life Group on Wednesday morning.

http://www.covechurch.org/community

We'll be meeting at Libby's house on Wednesday morning from 9:30 - 11:15. Be sure to bring your competed study guide questions, bible, pen, and a smile. Here is Libby's address:

134 Shelter Cove Lane
Mooresville, NC 28117
Directions: Down Hwy 150 from Big Daddy's Restaurant. Across from Jokers, (The Catawba Queen). The subdivision name is Pinnacle Shores. If you get lost, call Libby at 704.662.6801

If you have any questions or comments about this Wednesday, just scroll down past my name below and click on "comments". Fill in the box and click the "anonymous" tab to post your comment.

I can't wait to see all of your precious faces on Wednesday!!!

On the Road Again

How are you spending your Labor Day?

Are you have family over for a cook-out? Are you spending the weekend at the beach? Maybe you're headed to the park with a picnic basket and frisbees? Or, maybe you headed to the mall for some some Labor Day bargains?

Our family is spending Labor Day packing. Yes...packing. Again...packing. Oh boy...packing. Hooray...packing!

It's been 11 months since we moved into this wonderful place we call home. Our family loves it here and we were hoping to stay for a while. Just last year we signed a contract and moved out of our dream home on the lake. It was a really tough move but the home we're in now has been the perfect fit for our family. It's warm, cozy, and just the right size for us.

We've become friends with our landlords which is often times an exception to the rules. They are the sweetest family and have bent over backwards to make us feel at home this past year. They've recently decided to move back into the home we're renting so we've been house hunting the past 3 weeks. The process has included a few anxious moments and sleepless nights but we know it's all a part of the process. Being married to a General Contractor comes with an automatic oath of willingness to move frequently. I've actually enjoyed the adventure and variety of living in many different places. We've always owned our homes but with the economy so unstable we feel that it's best we lease for now until the housing market settles down a bit.

We found an awesome house in our same neighborhood which is such an answer to prayer! Our boys won't have to make new friends, change schools, or join new sports leagues. We also won't have to change our phone number or zip code. The best part is our new home will only be 3 miles down the road so that means less moving expenses. I've learned that you can shove a lot more stuff into those gigantic Hefty lawn trash bags when you're only going a short distance from House A to House B.

Our new place will have a view of the lake, an English garden, and a big front yard. Yes, we feel very blessed! We are excited about the new adventure God has us on and believe that although we weren't planning to move so soon, He's known about it all along and is providing a new place for us to call home.

I Have a Dream

Do you have a dream?

Think about that for just a minute...

Maybe your dream is to finish school or get married. Maybe your dream to is have children or advance in your career. Maybe your dream is to take a trip to Europe or start your own business. Maybe your dream is have your own home or get your kids through college.

Whatever that dream may be, do you think it will ever come true? Do you sometimes feel like life is taking you in the opposite direction from your dream and you find yourself father away from it's reality than maybe a year or two ago?

I have a special dream that I think about every single day. My dream is always in the forefront of my mind. At times, the eager pursuit of my dream causes me to make certain decisions, spend my time a certain way, and even connect with particular people on a very regular basis.

Often, I become frustrated and think my dream will never come to fruition. I sense the urge to just throw up my hands up and shout at the top of my lungs, "Oh, just forget it! This is all just a big waste of my time!!"

I was feeling that way this morning.

Something recently happened to me that seemed to push my dream further away. It was like I had approached an unexpected dead end along my path that completely took me by surprise. It has left me feeling discouraged, frustrated, and foolish for even having this dream in the first place. "What am I doing? There's no way my dream will actually come true!"

While I was having my pity party this morning, I decided to sit down with a nice hot cup of coffee and read a devotion from one of my all time favorite books, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. And this is what I read:

"Wait with Me for a while. I have much to tell you. You are walking along the path I have chosen you. It is both a privileged and a perilous way: experiencing My glorious Presence and heralding that reality to others. Sometimes you feel presumptuous to be carrying out such an assignment. Do not worry about what other people think of you. The work I am doing in you is hidden at first. But eventually blossoms will burst forth, and abundant fruit will be borne. Stay on the path of Life with Me. Trust Me wholeheartedly, letting My Spirit fill you with Joy and Peace."

I don't know about you but this is SUCH an encouragement to me!

The hard road I travel in pursuit of my dream may be hidden from others but it's never hidden from God. The decisions I've made, the time I've invested, the prayers I've prayed, the money I've spent, all to pursue my dream will one day produce an abundant harvest with loads of blossoms! It may not look exactly like I had originally planned or envisioned for myself but it will be what's best for me. As long as my eyes are focused on Him, then His perfect dream for me will be fulfilled.

Lets stay on the path. Let's keep pursuing God while we pursue or dreams and watch what He can do through us. Let's never give up and continue to trust Him every single step of the way. Let's keep going when things get tough or when we feel our path is headed in the opposite direction.

I'm in this for the long haul! What about you? Are you with me? I can't wait to see what God's going to do. And when He does it, lets give Him all the glory!!!

The Demon that Swallows People Whole

This morning I received an email from my brother telling me that Uncle George only has a few weeks to live. He was diagnosed with Melanoma last year and the doctors say it has already spread to his lungs and lymph nodes. He has also developed some type of Leukemia which is associated with prolonged exposure to benzene, a product he used to clean clocks for many years.

My Uncle owned a clock shop in Munich Germany where he would sell and fix all sorts of clocks - from pocket watches to grandfather clocks. I have one sitting in my foyer that he gave us years ago. My grandfather originally owned the shop and when he died, Uncle George kept it going.

His dream was to one day sell the clock shop, move to the United States and retire in Florida. He did exactly that about four years ago. He also got married to a wonderful woman, Susan, whom our family has grown to love so deeply. Life seemed wonderful...until the demon arrived.

Can I just say I HATE CANCER! Is that o.k. to be so blunt? It's like a demon that has swallowed up whole so many people that I love. My dad has struggled with Lukemia for almost three years now. Just last week my sweet friend had to shave off all of her hair because it was falling out in clumps from the chemo treatments she is undergoing. A nine year old boy who lives in our community gets daily visits from hospice and cries to his mommy because he's in so much pain and is afraid to die.

I've had friends and loved ones loose their hair, their breasts, their dignity, their ability to have babies, their mental capacity, their very lives because of this demon we call "Cancer".

Where is the hope in all this? For me, my hope is in the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. I may not understand why cancer attacks one person and not another. I may not know if cancer will one day swallow whole my children, husband, or even myself. I don't understand why cancer is becoming more and more prevalent but...my hope is in the Lord.

The bible tells us in John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (Jesus) have overcome the world."

Now, Jesus doesn't say we may have trouble or that we could have trouble. He says we WILL have trouble. Yet He doesn't leave us there, in a pit of despair. He tells us to "take heart!" (notice the exclamation point?) "I have overcome the world". Although cancer is big in our world today and seems to be everywhere you turn, it's certainly not bigger than Jesus! This is where my hope comes from.

Do you have a friend or loved one who is struggling or even dying of cancer right now? Maybe you're the one struggling with cancer? Please leave a comment and let me know so I can be praying for you or your loved one. It would be such a privilege and honor to do so.