PASTOR'S PICKS

This Week

Here is something awesome this week from one of our small-group missional service projects; read, pray, and join in!

To:  Rolling Hills Community Church
From:  Barry Ellison 
Subject:  Greetings from the homeless!

What a beautiful morning! I was blessed again to deliver, hand to hand, the clothes and blankets we collected to the homeless people downtown. I'm looking forward to another trip in a few weeks. They send their most sincere gratitude to you all for all your gracious donations as do I. There is no feeling like this one. These people are so grateful for all that we do for them and especially that we think of them at all. Each and every one of them thanked us over and over again. These people are so interesting, friendly, articulate and kind. They were so grateful for the timing of the delivery due to winter weather setting in. Gloves, blankets, jackets, shirts, socks, underwear, pants and feminine items were a big hit. SOCKS were their Christmas! I met another couple who were giving coffee, snacks and cocoa to these guys. They came over to thank me for what we are doing. They are there every Saturday. The wife said she hoped to compile stories from the  homeless and write a book. She and I agreed, everyone had a unique story to tell. One man came to me and said he had an unusual request. He said he was 54 years old and his wife was 43. They just found out that she is pregnant. He asked only for a comb.  Their greatest needs are backpacks, ponchos, socks, underwear, sleeping bags, blankets, $3.97 at Walmart, gloves and jeans. Bless you all for your great gifts.  

Last Week

 bringing it home
 
If you've seen our sermon-series ad in the local paper or on our website homepage, you know we have dubbed this series "Jesus Last Lecture," as chapters 24-25 of Matthew place these teachings in the last extended lecture that Jesus gives before he is arrested, tried, convicted, and dies.
 
Our inspiration for the series title and graphics comes from a current bestseller entitled The Last Lecture by the late Randy Pausch, legendary virtual reality computer science prof at Carnegie Mellon University. 
 
You can view and/or read a transcript of his "Last Lecture" for free at the following link at Carnegie Mellon:
 
http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/
 
Though he does not give a hint as to his faith background, he does acknowledge that he chose not to talk about two "things that are even more important than" what he choose; he chose not to cover (1) his wife and kids; and (2) "spirituality and religion." Whatever his background, his recollections and reflections are worth reading.

Two Weeks Ago

This past Sunday, we read one of my favorite books from childhood, Stone Soup by Marcia Brown, and let it speak volumes about the Bible verses from Exodus 35 and 36. For those of you who did not get to hear it, or for those of you who would like to hear it again, or even show someone else, here is another cool way to get to do it:
 
Hit this link for a public radio station in the Dakotas that has Real Player media videos of several illustrated children's books:
 
http://www.prairiepublic.org/education/pstv/guide/scholasticdv.htm
 
Then scroll down the page (NOT in alphabetical order, for some reason!) and find the appropriate link for Stone Soup, click on it, and sit back and enjoy ... then get up and bring what you have to offer for the LORD!

Three Weeks Ago

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"
     -- Paul, in Galatians 6:14

Some tall Texas thanks are in order for the multiple gifts that were given in order to finally place a cross upon the exterior of the Fellowship Hall:
 
+ to Coppertone Lighting, Lago Vista, TX, for project management and design; 
     http://www.coppertonelighting.com/
 
+ to Diversified Machining, Bertram, TX, for implementing design requirements and construction; 
     http://diversifiedmachining.net/
 
+ to Randy Wolf and Brian Jackson, for installation of the cross to the building, in a torrential downpour no less! Also to John Polk for consulting on installation;
 
+ to Charles Norris for completing the electrical work which also enables the cross to be lit from dusk to dawn, and
 
+ to Bill Geddes for working with all parties to coordinate the completion of the project on site;
 
+ to Linda Barrick for cleaning the excess glue off the spaces between the copper and the lexon, for conceiving the entire project, and for generously donating toward it;
 
+ for others (you know who you are!) who donated fianancially to raising another of Christ's crosses over North Lake Travis.
 
A further story deserves repeating: "Diversified Machining in Bertram, Texas, quoted us a price to get the project started, which I paid.   When it was time to settle the final bill, to my surprise, the invoice carried a zero balance.  When I had walked into their shop for the first time a couple of years ago, it was clear someone(s) there had done the Walk to Emmaus by items displayed. The management contines to live out their faith."
 
Thanks one and all. Every time you see it, may it remind you to do as the Savior has asked of you, namely, to pick your cross daily and follow (Luke 9:23).