Losing Life

12 Days....

No fast food, no ordering pizza, nothing has past my lips except food from the grocery store.  Some of you are proably like... "what's the big deal?"  Well, for me...I hate to cook, I work a lot, and when I am not working,I like to hang out with my kids, so honestly we were picking up food or eating out more then we were eating at home. 

So, we went COLD TURKEY.  And I have eaten my share of cold turkey from the fridge. 

The hardest part, Sunday afternoon.  I am usually STARVING by 1:00 and really want a Chipotle burrito bowl. 

I have not succumbed. 

The gym?  Let's just say, I think they know my name.

Big Idea Small Groups

Since the beginning of Restore Community Chruch (9 months since the launch of weekend services, and 14 months since the launch of small groups) we have been using the big idea in our small groups from adults to students to kids.  That means the topic of the message taught on Sunday is the content of our small group discussion. 

14 months later, here is what I see in adult small groups:

150 (give or take 10) adults in small groups.

150 people GET the mission, vision, culture and values of helping people find their way back to God.

150

people GET multiplication and reproduction as a means to help even more people find their way back to God.

150 people are MOBILIZED to change the spiritual landscape of Kansas City and the world.

150 people are asking WHAT"S NEXT? in the my spiritual journey.

I am convinced that one tool God is using for spritual momentum here in Kansas City and at Restore Community Church is Big Idea small groups.  It's called Missional Velocity.  Check it out at Big Idea by Dave, Jon and Eric.

Goodbye Panda Express, Hello YMCA

Two personal goals for 2009 :

• A month long fast from eating out (this includes takeout, but does not include work related lunches)  If you know the McMahon family at all and how much I "LOVE" to cook, you know how really big this is.  Mitchell put it well, "this sounds like punishment for you mom."  And in many ways he is sooo right.  So if I make it a whole month, I am planning some reward for myself, got any suggestions? 
• 209 in 2009.  This means 209 workouts in the year 2009.  Anything that gets my heartrate in the target zone for 30 minutes or more counts as a workout (so needless to say, Troy will be asking me to wear my heart rate monitor to bed - smile here) 209 workouts is about 4 a week.  Just worked out this morning, so I have 208 to go.

One more thing...

Then I promise, no more about Mr. Park Hill.  Check out Jake here on the high school website http://schools.parkhill.k12.mo.us/HS/.  Okay....enough is enough.

Judiann the pretty escort

What a really fun night for me as a mom.  All three of my kids participated with Jake in his run for Mr. Parkhill.  It was an experience they all could share in, and it was so cool.  I am proud of Jake for the leadership and effort it took to participate in this event.  And having him win was a huge bonus. 

Blessings abound....God is so good.

Jake Wins Mr. Parkhill

Mitch Rappin about Jesus in Mr. Parkhill

I'm in Love

  

"You are not fully mature until you consider all of the world's children your own."  

There are over 200,000 orphaned children in Haiti.  You can help.  C3 Missions.

Holy Ground

 

 

Here we are standing on the land in Haiti.  Purchased by Restore Community Church, this land is the site of a church that we believe will help many Haitians find their way back to God.  I stood there on Friday, Nov. 14th.  I saw kids playing soccer, people digging holes...and I saw the future. 

On Sunday, November 16th Restore Community church gave away the entire weeks offering of $64,000 to help build this church. 

I was not supposed to be on this trip that has been planned for months.  It was full.  Then at the last minute someone had to cancel, so I was able to go.  We planned our Haiti offering date months ago, not even knowing there would be a C3 trip to Haiti that weekend....things lined up, and I was in Haiti when the Restore offering was collected.

I got to deliver the news to pastor Donnie that Restore had raised more then enough money to build the church.

Honestly, it was one of the best weekend's of my life!  It is such an amazing adventure to follow a God who has plans greater then we could ever ask or imagine.

On my way to Haiti

Tomorrow....