If we let it, the beauty of this prayer, directed toward us (for our sin also put Christ on the cross) has the power to heal and transform us completely. But it also presents us with a breathtaking challenge – one we can only hope to fulfill as we’re transformed by the beauty of God’s grace...

Mosaic Church of Crestview, you have the area’s attention.  Signs and commercials in the area with a “No More Christians” slogan raised a few eyebrows — and some ire — around the community over the past week. Those who visited the “www.NoMoreChristians.com” Web site found out the signs actually promote a series of discussions planned at Mosaic Church of Crestview. The discussions have potentially eyebrow-raising and ire-raising titles such as “Why You Should Be an Atheist Instead of a Christian” but actually are intended to “creatively and aggressively try to show (people) that God loves them so much that even though they are still sinners, Christ died for them!” in the words of a letter from Mosaic Church Pastor James Ross.

Ross said the church used the potentially controversial awareness campaign to catch the attention of those leaning away from Christianity. Mosaic Church hopes to reverse the trend of declining church attendance in the area. “We were really trying to catch the attention of people who are searching,” Ross told the News Bulletin. “Newsweek published a special about the decline and fall of Christianity in America, and a lot of people are searching and leaning away from Christianity. We were specifically trying to target them with the commercial and the signs. “Unfortunately, we also attracted some negative attention.”The discussions are part of the Mosaic Church of Crestview’s 10 a.m. Sunday morning worship services. The discussions will be part of the next five Sunday services. -  Fox News Wire   To learn more about www.nomorechristians.com click here.

I grew up going to church, and frankly, as a boy I didn’t like it. I didn’t like getting dressed up as we had to do back in those days. I didn’t like my clip-on tie (remember those?), my stiff white shirt, the shiny black shoes that I couldn’t get dirty. I didn’t like having to sit still or be quiet or not run or listen to long sermons that almost never held my attention for even one squirmy minute. Later, in spite of my distaste for church, I did come to love God, which may be a miracle of sorts considering what young boys are put through in the name of piety.

But I do have one memory of something close to joy from my childhood in church. Two memories, actually, and they are closely related. One was singing the hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus,” and especially the lines, “Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, robed in the blooming garb of spring. Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, who makes the woeful heart to sing.” I wasn’t sure what a woeful heart was, although it didn’t sound good, but I was sure about meadows and woodlands because I had, from my earliest childhood, a love for the outdoors and all living things that could be found there...

This coming Friday and Saturday, March 20 and 21, the 2009 Good News Tour conference will be held at the Oakridge Adventist church in Vancouver, BC.  If you are in the area, we encourage you to stop by and join us in hearing all about the beautiful character of God!

Please go to www.goodnewstour.com for more information on this conference.

Gibby is a black Persian cat who loves catnip and all kinds of other green snacks. One day he bit into a hydrangea leaf and began spitting up some green foam. His people immediately called a poison control center .and found out that hydrangea is similar to cyanide.   Gibby survived, but even his brush with death did not stop his illicit snacking.  Of course as long as people are watching Gibby has learned to avoid chewing on plants. But late at night, when his people are in bed they can often hear a distant crunching.

They often wake up in the morning to the lucky bamboo that wasn't so lucky, a vase of roses minus all their petals, or a lonely stem in a bud vase--all casualties of Gibby's snacking.  It's pretty clear that houseplants (and small birds) are not safe around Gibby.  His ability to avoid snacking is entirely dependent upon the outside coercion of his owners. How nice it would be if Gibby could just understand that the hydrangea is poisonous, but until that happens he must be monitored...