Monthly Archives: March 2009

church farm

CHURCH FARM UPDATE 3/28/09

Just a brief update on church farm for those interested.

Today we added fencing to keep the critters out, dug  the fruit tree areas, worked on the potato patch and put up out scarecrow and named him Angelo.

Here are just a few pics of the work crew that came out this Saturday to help.

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Thursday we  plant potatoe. We will call it out first planting .

Thanks to everyone is particpating. We are really looking forward to giving food away at the first harvest.

Also, just a quick note. We will be offering a Grow your own Garden Workshop in a few weeks.

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Ministry

The Bucket List Series

titlethe_bucket_list

I start a brand new series this week called the “believers bucket list” – or things you need to accomplish before you kick the bucket.

I have wanted to do this series since I watched the movie back in 2008 but just haven’t have the ability to fit it ito our weekends at the church.

Really looking forward to sharing some of the key prioroties each of us some have before they are gone.

This week is the first in the series and I am looking at getting to know the God’s Word personally before we kick the bucket.

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Ministry

NO DOUBT!

“LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH!” LUKE 17:5 NIV

 

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Why it easy to  doubt ?

Because doubters are easy to find.

Because doubting satisfies our need for self-protection.

Because doubting is passive.

Because doubting is contagious.

(a) “What’ll I do?” versus “In God’s strength I can handle it.”

(b) “It’s awful!” versus “It’s a learning experience!”

(c) “I see no way out!” versus “It’s not too big for God.” Your words determine the spiritual climate of your life. So, to move from doubt to faith, start eliminating any unscriptural sentiment from your vocabulary.

It’s easier to catch than the common cold. Its carriers are words. Solomon writes, “You are trapped by your own words” (Pr 6:2 CEV). Words either build you up or tear you down. For example: You don’t wake up in the morning and say, “Today I’m going to doubt God.” No, doubt moves into a vacuum. It takes over when you don’t do the right things. Listen: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro 10:17). If you don’t keep your nose in God’s Word you’ll constantly be assailed by doubts. Nobody likes to be wrong, to get hurt, to fail, so our subconscious reasoning goes like this, “It’s easier not to trust God, to lower my expectations, then I won’t be disappointed.” But you are disappointed, aren’t you? Why? Because of your doubt! How many real friends of faith do you have? Probably not enough. The people around us usually tend to focus on the obstacles, opening the door to doubt. Once that wave gets going, everybody rides it.

I love this poem someone wrote about faith.

Doubt sees the obstacles. Faith sees the way. Doubt sees the darkest night. Faith sees the day. Doubt dreads to take a step. Faith soars on high. Doubt questions “Who believes”? Faith answers “I”.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

 

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Ministry

FIREPROOFING YOUR FINANCES

burning-money

Continuing a series of messages this weekend called “FIREPROOFED”.

Sunday will be about fireproofing our finances when everything seems to be going up in smoke.

Here is the outline I will be using

1. He feeds you through Pharaoh (the hand of man)

2. He feeds you through the hand of God …(the manna)

3. He feeds you through your own hand …(growing your own produce)

IT IS UP TO US TO FIND MULTIPLE STREAMS OF RESOURCE

“A RIVER WENT OUT OF EDEN TO WATER THE GARDEN…AND BECAME…FOUR [STREAMS].” GENESIS 2:10

Look for additional streams

The vision God has given you may need to be funded by more than one stream of income. God gave Adam 4 streams of provision, and you are no different. Before your feet hit this planet God had placed dreams, gifts, talents, and destiny deep within you. All of that came from Him, so surely He will enable you to put them to work. That may mean having various “streams of revenue” available. Your job should not be your only financial river, but one of several. Paul writes: “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything” (Php 4:12 TLB). Sometimes Paul was well supported by the churches, other times he used his skill-set as a tent maker to fund his ministry. You might just be realizing that there’s another gift surfacing in your life. Embrace it, develop it, pray over it, surrender it, then watch God make it flourish!

Don’t let people label or compartmentalize you.

THEN GENESIS 2:10 TELLS US THAT IT BECAME FOUR STREAMS. 3. CREATIVE RESOURCES

WHAT ARE THE FOUR STREAMS OF RESOURCES YOU CAN MINE IN?

1. NATURAL RESOURCES

2. HUMAN RESOURCES

3.  CREATIVE RESOURCES

4. COMMUNITY RESOURCES

I love the way the scripture gives us an alternative to living life just out of our own resources.

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family, Ministry

What can I do?

 

A few days ago I read a great qoute on Matthew Barnett’s face book  that said; “The major cause of homelessness in America is a breakdown of the family.”  Wow, that really starting a fire in me.

I feel like I need to help the change one person at a time and one day at a time.

What can I do? … Start with what I have and where I am.

I will let this fire continue to burn until I know I am on the right path.

Here are some links to inspire.

http://www.slowfood.com/

http://www.bread.org/

Thankful for a great family.

Steve Lummer

sac20tent20city

Tent city in Sacremento California

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church farm

CHURCH FARM UPDATE

Yesterday March 12th, I stopped by the church to pitch in to help prepare the soil with the rest of the workers.

Here are a few pics of the progress.

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The section where the Hopi Blue Corn will be planted.

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Horse flop helps the garden grow here in Arizona.

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Ein working on the alfalfa field

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Thomas and Katie working on the fencing for Twila the goat.

Hopi Blue Corn

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Blue Hopi corn is grown by Native Americans — the Hopi, Pueblo, Navaho and Zuni — primarily in the southwestern USA. The Hopi make it into Piki bread, which is wafer-thin — it’s prepared daily and for  special occasions like feasts and weddings. For the Hopi, blue corn and the color blue represent the Eastern rising sun, the beginning of life, and wisdom and understanding.

This ministry project is all a new experiment and I am really excited to see where it takes us.

I am thinking about planting the front two acres in front of the church with sunflowers. I wonder what the communities reaction would be to see thousands of sunflowers growing along Willowcreek road? Maybe they could bring a smile to the hearts of many. 

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Funny stuff, Life experiences, outdoors

HOW TO DE SKUNK YOUR DOG

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If you are an outdoors lover and a dog lover you might want to brace yourself for what happened to me today.

I took the two goldens for a walk in the late afternoon.

Just about to wrap up the walk when  I looked behind me to see no dogs.

That usually means they found something. Yep, they really found something.

They had just been perfumed by one of natures worst smells, A skunk.

This is the second time this has happen to us so I wanted to blog breifly about what to do when your dog gets skunked.

HOW TO DE SKUNK YOUR DOG.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, DO NOT LET THE DOG IN THE HOUSE !

Here is a simple solution.

1 Qt 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid soap

  1. Do not just run water over your dog. This only increases the stink, and if the dog has dry, or cracked skin, the spray can get into his skin, and cause burning. This also can lead to skin problems later.
  2. Mix about 3/4 of a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide with about 3-6 tablespoons of baking soda. This is for a small dog. For a medium sized dog, use twice as much, and 3 times as much for a big dog.
  3. Scrub the solution gently all over your dog. It is advisable to use disposable gloves, or if your skin is dry or cracked, it would burn your skin. If you do this outside, your house won’t stink as much, and it would be better for everyone.
  4. If stinking persists, make some more of the solution, or call your vet for other ideas.
  5. Try to keep your dog in the backyard, if you are missing a fence or have a swimming pool, try to keep it in the basement (in their cage) or a room that you don’t usually go into.

These guys where a lot of work today but there are  worth it.

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Cody (Courtious) (pronounced “coda way”) named after the Courious river in Missorri.

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Belle is our little Golden Retreiver we adopted from Rescue Golden. She had really been through it after being bit by a rattle snake here in Arizona.

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Ministry

NICK’S LAST TIME IN CHURCH

I just wanted to post a note about our friend Nick White’s funeral.

What an amazing crowd that game to show their respects here at Prescott First  Assembly this last Sunday.

A large group of his biker friends roared into the parking lot an when they arrived the service began.

One of my favorite parts of the service was my soon to be daughter in law’s song “More than Life” and a song by Krya and John where they mixed “Stairway to heaven with Amazing Grace.”

Nick’s death mad it possible for 58 of his friends to make a decision to follow Christ at his funeral.

What an awesome service.

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cycling, Ministry, Mountain biking

BIKE FOR THE LIGHT GOES TO SEDONA

Saturday we had the opportunity to take Johnny Kelley mountain biking in on of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Sedona was just the perfect  place to let a “roadie” enjoy some red rocks and dirt.

We did about 18 miles and really road some trails that I had never done before.

Johnny is a natural at mountain biking even if he is used to road stuff only.

His Bike For The Light Tour is a speed the light missions endeavor to raise money for missions around the world.

http://www.bikeforthelight.com/

Also here is a youtube video from our day.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=67892828584&h=yvcWW&u=BKUjC

I thought it would be great to get him off the road and man was I right. He did fantastic!

Here are some of the pics of our day.

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Johnny did a great job and a great message was brought to the church today…His message was “make a difference of make a change.”

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