Elevation North has News for YOU!

POSITIONING OURSELVES IN GOD! I am amazed at the wisdom God is imparting to the next generation and the next! I was talking with a young man in his mid-twenties a few days ago, and during the conversation, he revealed his vision for his place in the company he works for. What he revealed was the result of time and planning, you could tell, as he laid out the steps to get where his dream was taking him. On-line schooling with a degree will position him for his next promotion and next step in salary. Add a few more years of experience after that with continued proof of leadership skills and ability, and he was factoring in the possibility of yet another promotion near the top – and a salary that would be astounding for someone that age. Obviously, none of this will become a reality without the dream and the hard work and the commitment to follow through with each step at each level. But, knowing this person’s dedication to something he believes in … I fully believe it will happen! God stirred my heart as I caught a glimpse of what this young person is undertaking. Cannot this same kind of positioning work for us at any age? Cannot this same kind of positioning work for our businesses, careers, and jobs? Cannot this same kind of positioning work for every arena of our lives? For our families, for our finances? And most certainly, cannot this kind of positioning work for God’s Kingdom, including His church? For our personal walk with God? So, what will it take for us to position ourselves in this way? Though it would seem to be difficult at the outset, it really comes down to a very non-complex formula: having a dream or vision; believing enough in that dream to flesh it out with a precise plan; and sticking to that plan, step-by-step, until the dream becomes a reality! Is there anything … anything at all, where we position ourselves in that fashion, where the end results do not take place? Let’s look at it in this simple illustration: a mom wants to make a special meal for her family. She has the idea (the dream, the desire) for the exact menu she wants to prepare. Now she must put her plan on paper, jotting down every ingredient she will need. She plans the trip to the grocery store, she sketches out the time needed to prepare and cook and bake - and serve the meal at the appointed time. Then, amazingly, she has to DO it. If she deviates from her dream and her plan, the meal she had intended will not be served. But most often, most moms do this everyday. They have an idea in their mind for the next meal, and they just do whatever it takes to get that meal prepared and served to their family in a timely fashion. So, what I’m getting at, is if we can position ourselves for something that we could call “as simple as that” ~ then why can we not position ourselves for other dreams God has given us? Most especially, for spiritual dreams and desires to serve God with our all. Most especially, for bringing to reality the most important positioning of all: sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone we can, whether through our local church ministry or every other place we happen to be at! I was sharing the story of Jack LaLanne’s life of nearly 97 years with my ladies at the Senior Chair Exercise Session this week. From a sickly child to the all-time fitness guru he became, he lived out his goal to help others. His dream to become fit and stay fit took shape only as he positioned himself into a plan that would bring it to pass. Once that was achieved, he wasn’t content to keep that knowledge to himself, so he began to live out his goal of helping people help themselves. In later years, in addition to the physical fitness aspect of his legacy, he became known as “that juicer guy” – touting the benefits of great natural foods and nutrition. His physical feats through the years left people shaking their heads in amazement! Example: Swimming handcuffed and shackled, towing 65 boats filled with 6500 pounds of freight, near Tokyo, Japan - or – doing 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour and 22 minutes – or – at age 70, once again handcuffed and shackled, Jack, fighting strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats (bearing a total of 70 people) from the Queen’s Way Bridge in Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary! If we as human beings can accomplish these kinds of feats physically … and in business … is there anything too hard for God and us to accomplish together? God’s advice to us for positioning ourselves in Him and in our lives on this earth (which should be one and the same) is this: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Dear people of God, get ready, get set, and GO! Awaken your God-given dreams and begin to position yourself for the realization of those dreams!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- IT’S EXCITING TO GO TO CHURCH! That’s how we feel about being in God’s House with His people … deepening our faith in His ways! What a power-packed sermon Pastor Doug gave this past Sunday about “Fasting ~ Seeking God for Breakthrough!” The reports are already surfacing of what God is doing in us as His church through this time of setting other things aside and seeking His face. He has SO much in store!
- OUR SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES go out to Sean on the 9th, Kathy on the 12th, and belatedly to Dan, for January 30th! Our prayer is that God’s blessings will amaze you and uphold you all throughout the year to come!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug sharing the final message in the 3-part series on “Prayer, Fasting, and Praise”. Our entire service will be a celebration of praise to our Heavenly Father, along with searching the scriptures to see what God has to say about praise to us, His people! Come with a praise-filled heart, and leave with a praise-changed life!
- 11:15 A.M. – ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING with our “DANIEL FAST” CHURCH LUNCHEON to follow – along with the opportunity for great fellowship with your church family! Remember to bring foods that will be in line with the foods that can be enjoyed while on this fast. And plan to be an active part of our church vision for 2011!
- ELEVATION NORTH 21-DAY FAST continues – on Monday we enter our third week of fasting and prayer for divine breakthrough in so many arenas – for our church, for others, and for ourselves! May our God be glorified above all else!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – ‘LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at the home of Pastor Doug and Debbie! They will be awaiting you for this time of focused study, learning, and discussion!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP w/a new series of messages by Pastor D!
- COMING SOON . . . SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH: Post-Valentines’ Dinner Celebration – look for the sign-up sheet!
SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH: SPAGHETTI FEED with all the trimmings, plus “make your own sundaes” for dessert / with a movie afterwards!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHO ARE GOD’S GIFTS FOR, if not for His children?! This week, let’s claim those gifts for the Rogers and Spitzack families in their recent losses, for Sharon, Pam, Julia, Brandon and family, Aletta, Roger & Cindy, Kay, and Karrie! May He breathe comfort and healing and life into each one as we lift them up in prayer!

- REMEMBER . . . “God has a purpose for your life ~ and no one can take your place!” ~ unknown


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie