5301 Lake Street
Bridgman, Michigan
"Do to others as you would have them do to you."
—Luke 6:31 (NIV)
Aloha
Seasons.....I love the change of seasons. That is something I missed so much the 27 years we lived in Hawaii.
Fall came in so fast this year. Labor Day weekend was crisp and cold and summer (we thought) was over. Ah, but there is always that small little warm spell called Indian Summer....or as one local DJ calls it..."Native American Summer".....We have enjoyed a week of 70-80 degree weather and while I know it is fast coming to an end, everyone I know here in Michigan, has so enjoyed the cool crisp evenings and mornings that warm up to summer temperatures by the afternoon.
Due to the rain and the fluctuations in temperatures the last few weeks, the trees have adorned themselves in a beautiful array of colors. It is breath-taking to see the brilliant oranges, reds, greens and browns. When the sun shines on the trees it is almost like God himself is shining a special light on them to make them stand out in all their glory.
I love Fall. It is my favorite season next to Spring. Fall is all about letting go. The trees let go of their leaves. The flowers let go of their blossoms. The sun begins to let go of it's warmth. Winter is approaching.....a season of resting....of quiet reflection....Soon the lawn mowers will be replaced by the snow blowers. The rakes will be replaced by shovels. The sun will dim and set earlier each day and be reluctant to rise until almost 8 in the morning.
Winter is a time to regroup. People stay home and rest. How can you run with 20 feet of snow on the ground? It is a time to sit around the fire and talk.....a time to catch up on projects that were left undone because the weather was too nice to stay inside. It is a time to let the roots grow down deep into the soil and WAIT for the touch of the warmth of the Spring sun that will surely come back again.
While I love this season of Fall, I am also sad that summer is over and that winter will begin all too soon. It would be almost unbearable if I didn’t have the promise of Spring. But I know that it will be back again in several months.
Just as the earth goes through seasons, so also do we. Just as we go through seasons in our own personal lives, so does the church. South Shore Fellowship has just been through a season of pruning....of letting go. People leave the church for many reasons. We don't always understand why but we do understand WHO is in charge. We know that we can always trust God to bring us back to hope....to growth.
We took a few huge hits this past year. It was kind of like one of those blizzards that come down from Canada and just knock us out! It was a time for letting our roots grow down deep and now that the storm is behind us we find that we are still standing! Ministry is not always easy but it is what God has called us to do. Jack and I have been walking with the Lord long enough to know that we could never walk away from ministry without losing God's blessing. Being in a hard place with God is so much better than any other place without Him.
Recently I took comfort from Paul's words in Philippians 3:1. "Whatever happens, rejoice in the LORD. I never get tired of telling you these things and I do it to safeguard your faith."
To me, Paul was a super hero of faith, dedication, and discipleship. He had his seasons, too. He was beaten, shipwrecked, left for dead, put in prison, he was also highly esteemed, he was well received by those he ministered to but he did not find his joy in that. He found his joy only in the LORD. That is why he was such a powerhouse of faith. His constant was God and God only....no matter what happened.
I hope these words encourage you today as they have for me. If you are in a season of blessing and contentment....REJOICE IN THE LORD. If you are in a dry, barren desert season....REJOICE IN THE LORD. If you are in a season of waiting....REJOICE IN THE LORD. If you are in a season of discouragement and grief....REJOICE IN THE LORD. Paul promises us that it will safeguard our faith!
Nordgren Family update:
Jack and I will be going to visit our new grandson Tsiantas (pronounced Chantis) Turner Koichi Nordgren. Jason & Rachel are bringing the kids so we will be having a family reunion.
South Shore Fellowship Updates:
Morning worship has moved to 10am. We continue our sermon series, “Finding Jesus”- a verse by verse study through the gospel of Matthew.
Sunday October 23rd Dave Cowan will be preaching on Matthew 8:14-17
Sunday October 30th Dalton Stanage will be preaching on worship.
Aloha Ke Akua,
Jack & Maree
September 30th 2011, there were 20 foot waves on Lake Michigan. Yes, Jack went surfing. After he surfed he took this picture of his friend Ryan Gerad