Thursday, March 7, 2013

ELEVATON NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?!  Moments before sitting down to share these words with you, my eyes caught the familiar scene on my computer desktop:  a gorgeous Alaskan landscape painted in summery green foliage, sunny blue skies, reflective rippling water, and decorated with the most beautiful lavender Arctic Lupine flowers that dot this “wish I was there” scene!  I see it every day when I flip open my laptop, but today I really saw it.  I took time to look at it!  Then my eyes turned to “look” at what was outside my windows … and a completely opposite kind of beauty was being showcased.  For the first time in days, the sunshine broke through the white skies of winter and brought a contrast of some blue hued skies that have been missing.  The piled-high snow danced with sparkling diamonds that will soon melt … even the bare, brown trees kicked up their style a notch with some white icing placed carefully on their boughs!  For seven days in a row, I have “seen” breathtaking sites in the Caribbean islands sent via on-line posts by our kids who were there … and I felt like I was experiencing a bit of it with them!  I “gazed” upon new photos that popped up on my phone – starring our grandkids and great-granddaughter, and their smiles, their features, their personalities bursting forth made me feel like I wasn’t so far away!  These past Sundays in church, I have “seen” the hand of God at work through the power of His love and the anointing of His Spirit, and I want to stay and bask in the sweet presence I experience there. I get to lift up precious ministry friends in prayer as circumstances break over their lives in a sudden roar; and I “witness” God’s amazing miracle because He is Jehovah-Rapha, the Healer… and because this couple’s friends all over the country united in intercessory prayer for their urgent need!  We received a letter in the mail yesterday from supporters of this ministry from several states away – and I “saw” through her eyes a vision of Heaven God had given her when she so badly needed comfort in the loss of her sister to cancer.  Amazing, to say the least!  I was thrilled to chat with my aunt in the state of Washington this past week, who just recently turned 98 years young!  I say “young” – because that’s exactly what she is!  I “see” how God has blessed her with long life (she has outlived her five younger siblings!), with great health, with a still-sharp, sound mind, and with a great attitude and outlook on life.  I love the inspiration that she is to me, and “want to be like my Aunt Aretta when I grow up”!!  I am so excited about “seeing” the new people that God has brought to us at Elevation North, who are as excited as we are about this God-given ministry … who love being there as much as we do, who are sensing God’s touch upon their lives like we are, and who cannot wait to get there next week, just like us!  I absolutely love “seeing” God-opportunities present themselves on the horizon of our lives as well as in front of our faces – so that we can be even a tiny part of what God is doing on such a huge-scale in our world today!  You see, until we “see” what God is desiring to show us, we are going to miss the best part of our lives.  I wish for you perfect 20/20 spiritual vision so that you do not miss even one frame of the movie of life being played out each day!  What does God say on this subject? Well, instead of being alarmed at what each day will bring, I think we need to be “looking” at the power of the Resurrection that is recorded in Mark chapter 16 and available for each of us:  “ ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said.  ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see Him, just as He told you.’ “  If we, too, will heed the angel’s words to “look” for the risen Christ – not in the empty tomb, but out and about in our world, having gone ahead of us … then we will “see” Him, just like He tells us we will!  We will “see” Him in every part of our day, every part of our lives!  We will be able to discern His heart-prints, His presence, His miracles, His love! 
 
 
 
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
 
A SPECIAL WELCOME to Mary, to Chris & Diamond, and to Amon, who joined us in worship this past Sunday!  God bless you!
SUN, MAR 10TH:                                              
10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP                                  
10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHURCH                                     
WED, MAR 13TH/THU, MAR 14TH:                         
7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES                        
Check your church calendar for locations                          
FRI, MAR 15TH:                                                         
LADIES NITE OUT/1st Birthday Celebration!                  
SAT, MAT 16TH:                                              
9:00 A.M. – MEN’S BIBLE STUDY and
LADIES' PRAISE & PRAYER - with the              
Barnabas Team meeting to follow  
 
 
ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!
We are excited about the presentation of the Passover Meal as part of our Good Friday evening service at church at 7:00 p.m.  You will be able to focus on the indescribable sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross of Calvary as Pastor Doug shares from the scriptures.  You will also experience sampling the foods that Jesus and His disciples shared together before His crucifixion:  lamb, unleavened bread, grapes, salt water, paste, and more.  You will not want to miss this unforgettable, meaningful service that will help prepare your heart for Communion and looking towards the joy of celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord!  Plan to join us!!!                                        
 
REMEMBER . . .  “Be on the lookout for God’s trail of handiwork in your life … you will see things you’ve never noticed before!” ~ Debbie Jones
 
 
Joyfully Serving Christ . . .
 
 
Pastor Doug and Debbie
 
 
 

      

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