I am currently reading “Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Vision” by Andy Stanley. This book is packed full of principles and practical “how to’s” that will help you develop and maintain a personal vision. I am excited to get to the end of the book and then apply the principles to my personal and family vision.
What are you reading this month? What do you recommend?
Helping People Pursue Jesus!!!
KL
I believe that we are better when we are together. I believe this so strongly that we are building it into the DNA of our family vision. I challenge and encourage everyone to join a Home Group—a gathering of friends centered around fellowship, Bible study and discussion, and focused prayer. A wise man once said, “People aren’t looking for a friendly church; they are looking for friends.” I believe that’s true, and I encourage you to be a part of a home group. If you desire authentic community, I encourage you to contact me and find out how you can connect through our Home Groups, each person in our community can engage in stimulating conversations as they fall into a circle of friends.
Helping People Pursue Jesus!
KL
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)
Already mourning lost sleep from this morning? Most people will sleep about 40 minutes less on Sunday night after daylight saving time returns, bad news for the 47 million American who are already sleep-deprived. But those aren’t the only impacts it can have on your health.
You’re more likely to have a heart attack
In the three days after we spring forward, we’re five percent more likely to have a heart attack, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine. Another study found a jump as big as 25 percent. One possible explanation is that sleep deprivation releases stress hormones that increase inflammation, causing complications in those already at higher risk of having a heart attack. The good news? Our risk falls by 21 percent when daylight saving time ends in November.
Your performance suffers
It can be tough enough to guzzle enough coffee to function at the office on Monday mornings, and you can expect tomorrow morning to be even harder. A 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that we spend more time online on non-work related websites the first Monday after daylight saving time starts than on the Mondays before or after it. There’s also over a five percent jump in workplace accidents that Monday.
Your sleep efficiency is lower
The impact of daylight saving time on our sleep quality goes beyond a lost hour. Researchers say that sleep efficiency—the ratio of time you spend actually sleeping compared to the amount of time you spend in bed—is disrupted for as long as a week or more after we spring forward. One study found that sleep time is reduced by up to an hour a day for five days following the change—and it’s especially tough on night owls.
Adjusting to the time change is different for everyone. Some people adjust in a few days; for others, it takes more time.
Wake up early. Exposing yourself to the bright light in the morning will help you adjust. After a dark winter season, the sun may seem harsh at first.
Don’t Take Naps. Avoiding naps is key for adjusting to the time change. Try not to take naps, If you have to take them, take them early and for no longer than 20 minutes.
Long naps are a sign of sleep deprivation and other underlying health issues. Research says short naps improve brain function, leaving you refreshed afterward.
Avoid Coffee and Caffeinated Drinks. Avoid coffee and caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime.
It’s also important to follow good sleep hygiene habits
Turn off the House of Cards marathon. Power down distractions like the TV, cell phone, and laptop well before bedtime—the blue light they emit suppress melatonin secretion, disrupting sleep.
What are you doing to help adjust to daylight savings time and springing forward one hour?
Because People Matter
KL
I have always enjoyed reading. I actually have a pretty large library of books. However, my time management has not really allowed much room for reading. Reading was always the first thing to go when the schedule got crammed.
I enjoy reading books on my iPad via the Kindle app. I usually have my iPad or phone with me anywhere I am which allows for reading pretty much at any time. Also, If I read on my iPad and then later read on my iPhone, the Kindle app keeps up where I was at across all my devices.
I am including my reading list for March below!!
SOUL DETOX by Craig Groeschel
As standards of conduct continue to erode in our shock-proof world, we must fight the soul pollution threatening our health, our faith, and our witness to others. Without even knowing it, people willingly inhale second-hand toxins poisoning their relationship with God and stunting their spiritual growth.Soul Detox examines the toxins that assault us daily including: toxic influences, toxic emotions, and toxic behaviors.
By examining the toxins that assault us daily, this book offers the ultimate spiritual intervention with ways to remain clean, pure, and focused on the standard of God’s holiness.
What are you reading this month? What are you planning to read next month?
Share your thoughts!!
Because People Matter,
KL
John 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and 2 Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”4 “What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”5 “Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants.6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained 20 or 30 gallons.7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then He said to them,“Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.” And they did.9 When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”11 Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
The hosts have done their best, but it isn’t enough. The wine has run out at the wedding feast. They are about to be embarrassed. Everyone is about to go home. The big celebration is about to fizzle. As diligent as the hosts probably were in planning for the feast, they didn’t accurately estimate the refreshment needed. Or perhaps they bought all they could afford and hoped it would be enough. It wasn’t.
The wedding feast at Cana is a lot like life. It’s a good attempt at a celebration, but it doesn’t quite satisfy. It requires lots of planning and preparation, but there are inevitably unexpected crises. Always visible are the laughter and dancing, but behind the scenes there is stress over whether it will all work out. And everyone knows it will eventually end.
But when Jesus steps into the situation, everything changes. His word is enough to take our stone jars and fill them with satisfying substance. At His word, these ritual cleansing jars-the utensils of legalism-become the vessels of abundant life. They shadow gives way to reality.
Application:
Jesus is the life of the party—Literally. He steps into our world and changes futility into fulfillment, blandness into flavor, obligation into celebration, law into life. And, like the servants at the party, we never see it happen! We don’t know how He does it, just that He does. We see the problem, we invite Him to be the solution, we hear Him give the command to prepare for a miracle, and we do so. We fill the pots with water of our faith and obedience, but we don’t understand the miracle that is taking place inside. He turns the water to wine without our understanding either how or exactly when. The dancing can continue, the guests can keep laughing, and we can relax and enjoy the celebration.
In John’s writing, the ministry of Jesus begins with a wedding feast. It also ends with one (Revelation 19:7). The kingdom of God is all about celebration. And it begins when Jesus speaks a transforming word and provides new wine.
THE LOGSDON FIVE…..
are a family
are not perfect
do our best
get silly
tell the truth
listen give
are grateful
find joy
take responsibility
have faith
share trust
use kind words
respect each other
laugh every day
celebrate life
give grace
are messy
make mistakes
do loud really well
love each other
say please and thank you
give second chances
are Blessed
Just food for thought-
In Thom and Jess Rainers’ book “The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation,” They suggest that the Millennial Generation (those born between 1980-2000) has become the most influential generation. Over 78 millions births occurred between 1980-2000.
What does this mean? This means that people from the ages of 11 years old to 31 years old have surpassed the Baby Boomers and have become the leading influence in America today.
What are you doing to reach this generation? Churches can not afford to miss out on the opportunity to reach this generation. I believe that if we are going to reach the world for Christ, we must start with reaching the Millennial Generation.
Share your thoughts!!!
Because People Matter-
Kris
We are getting ready to start the second half of the year.
As I think about the fact that we are almost to June, I look back over my life to reflect how my life is different now than what it was at the beginning of the year. I look back at the "Spiritual Markers" in my life to be able to see where I have grown and where I have not grown.
What is your spiritual growth plan?
How is God using you this year?
Will your life be any different at the end of the year than it was at the beginning?
What are the spiritual markers in your life?
Do you know how to recognize them?
How are you keeping track of your spiritual growth?
Because People Matter,
Kris
Being transparent is not something that comes easy to me. However, with the work that God is doing in my life, He demands total transparency. I know that after I share this I will have some critics, some who doubt what I say and hopefully some encourager’s. There was a time in my life that I walked away from God and ultimately walked away from my family and marriage. I was only concerned about Kris and what he wanted. In doing so, I found myself in an affair. I didn’t care how it affected my marriage or my family, I was simply living in the moment. I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan 3 times and had decided that I could take care of myself and did not need God. In the end, I lost my marriage and my family. It was then that I realized how important God was needed in my life. I moved from Greenwood to Fort Smith after arriving home from Afghanistan. I started a new chapter in my life and began to seek Gods plan and will for my life. My relationship with my kids was restored and I love daddy weekends with my babies. I met a very Godly woman and just recently started a new chapter together with her in marriage. I moved out of my apartment in Fort Smith and we have a house in Van Buren The Lord has been stirring my heart for something great for Him. It has kept me up at night and at times made it hard not to shout it out. The Lord has been burdening and stirring my heart about the number who people who have given up on church or been burned by church or who simply think they are to “bad” for church. They are over 22,000 people in Van Buren and an estimated 40% who are unchurched. That equates to around 8,000 unchurched people. This passion and vision that I truly believe the Lord has placed on my life is to plant a new church here in Van Buren: “Mosaic Van Buren”. A mosaic is a piece of art made up of broken pieces of glass and ceramic of different colors and shapes, and we are just like that…….a bunch of broken people of different cultures and backgrounds and different stories brought together to create God’s perfect art. It is my prayer and desire for God to use me as He wishes. We are in the prenatal stages of Mosaic Van Buren. There was a message at church a few weeks back that was a convicting one for me in that I must allow God to use me regardless of what I have done. God has a plan to use me and if I tell God NO and do not allow Him to use me then He will find someone else who says YES.
I have since learned that ALL I have is God and I seek to serve Him with my whole being. I have always known that God has called me to ministry but everyone around me told me that I was no longer fit because of my actions and the decisions that I made, especially after my affair and divorce. Some critics are even worse now that I am married again.
I have this passion and vision to to reach the unchurched. Many churches today are content with who they are reaching. Many churches dont want the “trash” that come with lots in the community. I have this passion and vision to plant a church here in Van Buren that operates to seek out those who have given up on church, have to much “garbage” to come to church, who are broken, hurting and an outcast. Mosaic Van Buren would be a place made up of shattered, broken people who come together and serve an amazing God creating a beautiful thing for Jesus. Just as the word Mosaic is defined.
We need friendly people, graphic artists, hipsters, rockers, financial planners, dreamers, connectors, people that are good with children and teenagers, web designers, all types of musicians, office managers, painters, lighting and sound technicians, film editors, humans, actors, singers and vocalists, sculptors, poets, writers, service planners, set designers, camera operators, licensed truck drivers, police officers and security workers, and more, If you don’t fit any of these categories, we are also looking for angry, bitter, sad, lonely, messed up, frustrated, and depressed people that want to change, Christ-followers, people far from God, and everyone in-between! Think you’re too messed up to be a part of our team? Think again.
Nothing in the world is more exciting than building a church. We’re not talking about bricks and steeples, we’re talking about building a community of faith that can change the world. We believe that the time for this movement is now and we want you to be a part of it. Your gifts, your input, your skills, and your social networks will be utilized as a part of something that is bigger than yourself that will bring depth and excitement to your life.
Contact us today!!
love God. love people
Kris
kris@mosaicvanburen.tv
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