How To Annoy Your Family

Summer is almost over for those returning to school in a few short weeks! (bummer) Have no fear... Thrive and Genesis are also coming back to help get you through the long days this fall.

Thrive is back featuring our fall theme: "How to Annoy Your Family"

We'll have a great time exploring how often we annoy our families and what we can do to make sense of who we are in our crazy family life.

Thrive starts back on Wednesday, August 29 in the Parish Life Center.

SALT Returns

Our SALT experience at LOMC was tremendously GREAT! The group of 24 worked especially hard at having fun, exploring God's Word and helping in the local community.

Our service consisted of:

• Caring for animals at the Granny Rose Animal Shelter in Dixon, IL


• Sharing an awesome morning fishing with the folks of Village of Progress


• Working with Zion Development in Rockford

We also had a lot of great times hiking, singing, shouting, canoeing, cooking some awful food on the canoe trip, telling stories, making friends, and a TON more.

Back From Caving

Yup, actually we've been back from our 2007 caving trip for awhile now but I'm slow to get things going. We had a great time exploring some wonderful creations that God made in Missouri.

Check out the 2007 gallery here!

Cool Shades Dude!

Here in the lovely midwestern towns of Bloomington, Normal and nearby parts we are experiencing some beautiful weather. The sun is out again for a few more months and time to dig out those groovy shades. Sunglasses don't block your eyes from seeing - they merely shade your eyes from direct sunlight. The shading protects you from those nasty UV rays from the sun and helps you to see in the bright light by darkening or dimming what you see.

In life we are bombarded by all kinds of harmful things around us. Violence, sex, hatred, anger, greed, jealousy and all kinds of twisted and negative things. Proverbs says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." If you aren't looking you can easily find yourself in trouble. If you don't look ahead and see something that might be bad for you, you'll find yourself in the midst of trouble. 1 John says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

We can't help being exposed to the world around us. We CAN however protect ourselves by our belief in Christ and in His death and resurrection. Huh? Believe in God and He will protect and shield you from all danger and harm. He'll also show you right from wrong, what to look at and and what to shield your eyes and ears from.

Groovy shades man!

May I Help You? U Look A Little Frazzled!!!!

"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." -Mark 6:30/31

MAY is busy. MAY is crazy. MAY is hectic. MAY I help you? You look a little frazzled! You're coming and going with school, sports, work or any of another 100 things on the ticket. You're not alone, even the apostles were being driven to work harder and harder. They were tired (sound familiar?). They were hungry (sound familiar?). Jesus simply tells them an obvious truth (again). Let's go and grab something to eat take a break. Duh! But they could be healing the sick, preaching about God, serving others somehow!!! We can imagine them screaming, "How can we possibly take a break?!!" Jesus would have merely told them to follow Him, trust Him, and they would.

Jesus is right (duh!). If you are feeling tired and hungry you need to rest and eat! Sounds simple but doing is not always an easy thing. Are you doing too much? Probably... if you are like most American teens or adults. Of course if you are reading this then you are most likely already following Jesus' command for rest. So your task is even more important... pass the advice on. Invite a friend to your house for a break. Go out for ice cream. Take a walk. We all have to rest and get nourishment. Spiritually, emotionally and physically. Go ahead, take a break.

Thrive Cancelled for Tonight -May 2

Yup - a night off!

At the Emerson/Towanda intersection there is a major water main break. The funny thing is that it is only affecting Ewing Castle, the house next door and St. John's church. Anyway, everything for Wednesday night has been cancelled (Choirs, CHAOS, Thrive, etc.).

Thrive returns next week with our last meeting before summer break. It's a Fellowship Event for everyone!!!

Have a nice night off.

The IPod Bible

Good News! Good News Bible that is! Check this out - a site where you can download free software and install it on your Nano or IPod Video. It's called podbible and is totally free!

The Bible is based on the popular "Good News" version of the Bible. Heck, this is the Bible I received back in the day from my church. It can't hurt to try and now you'll have a Bible with you all the time (cause we know your IPod never leaves you).

podbible.org

Eye Tales

I decided to create a book of my photography and some of the pictures include shots from camps of St. John's. It's pretty cool!

The title of the book is Eye Tales and features pictures and verses from the book of Psalms.

Check it out by clicking the link/picture below.

Eye Tales

Finding Grace in th...

By Mr. Rob