Women's Retreat Hot Topics Needed!!

Hello ladies [and all thoughtful men-folk],

I would love to get your input on topics you would like to hear about at this year's Women's Retreat [Breakout session format].
Thanks for posting your thoughts.


Pamgela

A Message from our Friend Barrett

Here's a little message from someone who was and still is a big part of our community--Barrett Parkman. He's living in Beijing, China studying to get an MBA at Tsingua University. When Ben Howell and I visited him last month in LA (he was stateside for his sister's wedding), I thought it'd be a good idea to take a little footage of him saying whatup to all his Perimeter homies. Enjoy!

abandoned heart

I didn't get to go to Texas this year for Thanksgiving, but did get to hang out with a great family about an hour and half north of Atlanta. Despite some traffic I had a great drive there, through some uncharted territory for me - which is always fun. I am very blessed to have a navigation system that allows me to just drive, not really care where I am going or how I am getting from A to B - but I can drive and ponder and wonder.

On this particular drive I saw an unusual amount of abandoned homes - and it wasn't due to the latest housing market downturn, but rather these homes have not been lived in for years. The famous GA Kudzu plant growing all over many I couldn't help but wonder what happened? Was it a financial issue the family had? How could a house just go cold - no interaction - no upkeep - no Thanksgiving meals.....then all of a sudden it hit me - could this be the case with an individuals' heart? And louder it rang, my heart?

Could it be abandoned? Forgotten? Would I, the "land owner," recognize it's significance and let it go? In certain seasons I know this has been true, it's tiring to actually stay tuned to your heart. It takes quite, good conversations, listening, struggles, understanding who it is God says I am to actually have a barometer as to how your/my heart is doing.

I blame busyness, but it's no real alibi. It is an unknowing culprit sure, but the part of my heart that wants to be known, loved, not abandoned sometimes loses to the heart that wants nothing to do with warmth, or friendly faces - rather it wants dark, secrets, it's own "law"......

No real conclusion here except for the fact that we need be ware of our own heart's wanderings, to abandon your own heart is an option you have. It's one the old self desires stronger than anything, the old self is put to death by the new self that is Christ.

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" - Prov 4:23

Jesus is the true and better...

Ran across this in a Keller talk...

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, "Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me," now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, "Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us."

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people's victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible's really not about you – it's about him.

a secret

"the obviously well kept secret of the "ordinary" is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine" -dallas willard

funny (sarcastic) how I can consistently forget the gospel. forget in the sense that I seem to not intersect with it daily, weekly, hourly - while in reality I do, i just have an orientation other than what I desire to have. i forget that a divine footnote lurks after every word on every page in this Story that we are all living in.
reading the story of the harlot in luke 7, i find myself in the pharisees place - thinking I have it "more together" than them over there. As we heard on Sunday night, the Gospel - while for everyone - is not to be thought of as only being needed by my neighbor who doesn't cut their "grass".

HOME GATHERING
if you are new to the gathering (or old), we are so thankful you have been coming around - I hope to see you at the Home Gathering this Thursday night. see our calendar for more info on the event (link is on the right)

Old man

I was praying for some of you this morning, noted no one has been here in a while and thought I might post. This came to mind:

"Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.

Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
And there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.

Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things that don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true."

It is at least thirty years since I heard first heard this song. I was about 24 and I thought, "Is he crazy, we are nothing like those old people?!"

Now as I substitute 51 (even though that does not rhyme with 'more') for 24 and sing it, it rings very true. I am alot like an 81 year old. I need someone to love me the whole day through. I need to get things that don't get lost.

I wonder Who could give that to me and give it to those 30 years either side of me? There really are differences and yet much is the same.

If you read this far, first post who guesses the artist gets coffee from me. (No googling though!) Blessings.