For Those With Ears - Entries written by Amy Fotherby

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ThuThursdayMayMay10th2012 It's ALL joy
Posted Thursday, May 10 2012 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
This Sunday Pastor Todd will be speaking about faith that endures and unpacking some hard hitting truths from Hebrews 12:1-3. I don’t yet know exactly where he’s going with this message (I mean I have some idea!) but I do know you’ll be hearing more from Todd in tomorrow’s blog. Have you found our time in Hebrews to be both challenging and encouraging? I have walked away from pretty much every message feeling challenged and convicted…but also encouraged.

I’ve read Hebrews a number of times over the last twelve years as I have been going hard after the Lord…there is ALWAYS something new to glean. Here’s the verses we’ll be diving into this weekend:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  – Hebrews 12:1-3

I read a great article from Joni Eareckson Tada a few months ago and these are her thoughts on this passage:

The path to joy is full of pitfalls, valleys and steep climbs. That’s the way it was for Jesus. But through all the hardships, he kept focused on “the joy set before him.” Jesus was able to endure his cross because he kept in mind the joy of reunion with his Father, the joy of triumph over sin, the joy of all his divine rights finally restored to him, and perhaps most wonderful of all, the joy of being eternally surrounded by the very people for whom he bled and died. This is why Jesus Christ was able to endure the cross and scorn its shame. All for joy!

It’s very much the same for you and me. Our path to joy is full of pitfalls, too. But Christ has gone before us, imparting to us his enabling power to suffer with him. Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed [or happy and joyful] are you when others revile you and persecute you…Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” And exactly what is our reward at the end of all our hardships? Our reward will be to enjoy God with the same joy that Jesus has in his Father. Oh happy day!

Christians have no reason to be miserable or pessimistic. There is no room for gloom and doom when you’re a believer. If your heart is troubled by pessimism or doubts, repeat several times today’s verse, especially the part, “Consider him who endured… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” This is the secret to finding joy. Consider him.

- Joni Eareckson Tada in “A Hard Path to Joy”

I don’t have super hard things that I’m currently facing but I have "stuff" that I struggle to consider joy in my life. Yet, compared with Christ enduring the cross my "stuff" seems pretty trivial. I want to run with endurance and I want my life to be set apart for Christ so that others see something different in me and WANT the thing that makes me different – Christ in me.

A good friend recently took a 14 day no complaining challenge…here’s what she said one week:
Well I am one week into my no complaining challenge. This past week has been filled with plenty of opportunities to put this in to practice, I have failed to seize some of these opportunities but the Lord has also given me victory in others.
If I had to some up what this challenge is teaching me in one word it would be gratitude! I have found that when a situation presents itself that I would be drawn to complain about if I try and find something about it to be grateful for my attitude changes very quickly. And the reality is that in most…probably all of these situations there truly is something to be grateful for - I have a car to drive (when dealing with traffic), I have great friends and family (when my life just seems to busy), just to name a few.
I can see the beginning of the heart change that the Lord is working in me, I know there is still a long way to go but I’m thankful that the Lord’s work in me is never finished!
I think this 14 day challenge is a fantastic way to help me count things as JOY…I have a few things on my plate right now so am contemplating when to actually begin this challenge (don’t really want to set myself up to fail…then again, maybe this is the PERFECT time to do it!?!).

What are you facing today that you just need to choose to count as joy?  What are you going to do to make this happen?
TueTuesdayMayMay1st2012 The Castle Wall
Posted Tuesday, May 01 2012 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Our hearts are deceitful (and desperately wicked according to Jeremiah 17:9 ) – I know this to be true in my life. There are times when I can’t see the sin in my life and need loving friends to come alongside me and gently (but firmly!) point it out. Other times I am well aware that there is sin in my life but I simply don’t want to deal with it. Sometimes my sin is comfortable, it’s just what I know. Other times it has seemed easier to live with or manage my sin rather than radically cut it off (Satan loves to feed us these lies). The reality is that sometimes we like our sin…but God doesn’t.

God looks at the sin in our lives as disgusting…I can only imagine what sin would look like if we could see it in a physical sense – like rotting flesh crawling with maggots perhaps? There are times when I ask the Lord to help me see my sin the way that he sees it so that I will be so repulsed by it that I really will do whatever it takes to cut myself off from it. I need to do that regularly.

I came across a great quote this week in a blog that I read regularly:

Remember that the mind is the watchman of the soul, commanded to judge and determine whether something is good and pleasing to God, so the affections can long for it and the will can choose it. If the mind fails to identify a sin as evil, wicked, vile, and bitter, the affections will not be safe from clinging to it, nor the will from giving consent.

This is one side of the castle wall, the first line of defense: to keep in mind that every sin is a forsaking of God (Jeremiah 2:19), to never forget the polluting, corrupting, defiling power of sin—to be shaken to the core by how much God loathes sin.

When Paul said Christ’s love compelled him (2 Corinthians 5:14), he described the other side of this first defense: the mind must stay fixed on God, especially on his grace and goodness toward us. His love propels, fuels, drives us to obey. It is the fountain of our obedience, and our highest motive to finding out what pleases the Lord and doing it.

In order to walk before God, this is the mind’s first duty: to know and hold on to the evil of sin and the love of God.
~Kris Lundgaard in The Enemy Within

I’ve been blessed with some amazing people in my life who want more for me than the mediocre and they are constantly pointing me to Christ and urging me to strive for excellence and holiness in my life. Do you have people in your life like that? If you don’t – get in a small group, aim to be vulnerable and transparent – you WILL be blessed. Guard the castle wall…build up your defenses and GROW.
TueTuesdayAprApril10th2012 Holding on to hope
Posted Tuesday, April 10 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
There are many things in life that I just don’t get – I tend to be the person that asks "WHY?" a lot. I read a quote a while ago that talked about how we ask God why? – is it with a searching heart or a clenched fist? I think a lot of the time I ask with a searching heart but there have been (and still are!) times when I ask with a clenched fist holding onto what I think is the answer, the right way, the easy way…I try to convince God to give me the answer that I want. Yet, if 32 years of experience has taught me anything it’s that my way is NEVER the better way when compared to God’s way.

We all have stuff in our lives to varying degrees…the challenges we face that test us and grow us, the situations where we can choose to sin and therefore choose to suffer or choose obedience and choose to bring glory to God. None of us particularly enjoys being pressed to the mat but most of us could probably agree that we appreciate the growth that comes out of those hard times.

Here’s what we know about Job’s time of being pressed to the mat:
 
Job's life as he knew it had ended. His property had been destroyed, his children had died, and he was still covered with scabs. He had been to the depths, craving death, craving answers, craving restoration. His wife and his friends had provided no comfort.

But finally God spoke, and as God revealed himself in the whirlwind, Job realized that even though he had feared and followed God, he hadn't really known God. Through suffering, however, God had revealed himself to Job in an unmistakable, intimate way. Job recognized that though he had known much about God before, he now knew God in a new, more meaningful way that would transform the remainder of his life.

When Job said, "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes," he was saying, "I knew about you, but I only knew you by the book. Now I know you because I've experienced you for myself! This is not just reading about or hearing about you; now I really know you!"

It is one thing to believe that God is faithful and will supply all your needs--even in the darkest of times. It is another thing to experience it. In the darkest of days, we've experienced a supernatural strength and peace that could only come from God. Perhaps you have too...

It is when we are hurting the most that we run to God. We recognize that we are powerless and that he is powerful. We pray and we see him more clearly because we're desperately looking for him.

And in our looking for him, we find him to be more loving and faithful than we've ever seen him before. We discover an intimacy that we have never experienced before, perhaps because we're looking for him so intently. That is always God's purpose: to use whatever means he sees fit to bring us to a closer relationship with him, to create in us a faith that will give us the strength to keep holding on to hope--not a flimsy wishing or a hope that everything will be fixed in this life but genuine biblical hope that one day what is unseen will be seen. This faith is confidence in an eternal future in which God sets everything right.

-    Nancy Guthrie [Holding on to Hope, pp. 85-88]

This past weekend we celebrated Easter…we serve a Saviour who died for our sins to give us hope in him. In Job 19:25 we read the words of Job - “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” Job had HOPE. He knew that his Redeemer lived and would come again. We have that hope…but we don’t always cling to it in the moments of hurt, confusion, loneliness, anger, frustration…Christ DIED that we could have a hope and a future in HIM – the worries of my life seem incredibly petty as I lay them at the foot of the cross. I’d be a lot better off if I could just get myself to live in this place daily.

Where do you need hope today? Will you look to your Redeemer or to yourself?
TueTuesdayAprApril3rd2012 Neighbours
Posted Tuesday, April 03 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I’ve observed a number of neighbourhoods around Barrie over the past two weeks as Kevin and I have started looking at buying a house.  I look for how busy the street is, what shape the neighbours' yards are in, if there are excessive cars parked all over…I want to know what kind of neighbourhood we’d be moving into and as much as possible I want to know that I’d like the neighbourhood!

Beyond that I’ve started thinking about what kind of neighbour I want to be when we do move in somewhere. I want to know my neighbours…not necessarily best friends with them…but I want to be friendly and approachable. I want to represent Christ well from the very beginning and make an effort to really care about the people that the Lord has placed around me. I know that there will be opportunities for Kevin and I to share Christ with our neighbours, to invite them to church, to encourage and help them and to be an example to them. I’m already praying about who these people will be and how the Lord will use us in their lives.

Sometimes I think the nicer weather gets us thinking more about our neighbours – a new season where everyone emerges from hibernating in their homes and we think about what kind of opportunities the Lord might give us as we find ourselves interacting more. We have Easter services, the Meredith Andrews concert, and our anniversary weekend services all coming up. If you think you need more than "just" a Sunday morning service to invite people to then you have some opportunities coming up.  I loved hearing at Christmas about the creative things that people were doing to invite their neighbours – baked goods with an invitation to the Christmas service, homemade ornaments, Christmas open houses…I’ve paid attention to all these ideas and am looking forward to using some of them.

The Bible talks about neighbours in Mark 12:30-31:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

How will you love your neighbour as yourself in the next few weeks? I’d love to hear what your goals are, your creative ideas and your experiences!
TueTuesdayMarMarch20th2012 Communion
Posted Tuesday, March 20 2012 @ 9 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Each month as a church family we have the privilege of observing the Lord’s Table together – it IS a privilege. Yet, to be honest, I don’t always come as prepared as I should on these Sunday mornings. Life gets busy, I get distracted and so I miss a significant blessing on those communion Sundays when I come less than prepared. My guess would be that I’m not the only person that finds themselves in this position from time to time. Have you found yourself with only a few minutes (or seconds!) to attempt in some feeble way to come to the table in a way that would be pleasing to the Lord?  

As I think through this in my own life I thought I’d share some questions that I think could be worth asking a few days before Communion Sunday:  

Have I forgotten or even choose not to quiet my heart before the Lord and ask him to reveal any unconfessed sin in my life?  

Have I taken the time to really reflect on the sacrifice, the gift, his amazing love for me?  

Because here’s the thing - I don’t have a valid excuse…WE don’t have a valid excuse. We KNOW when communion Sunday is - usually the last Sunday of the month and if we can’t remember that or if it changes, we’re reminded each month in the blog or we can check the master calendar. I NEED to be coming as prepared as I can be – EVERY time we observe the table together…we all need to.  

This coming Sunday is a communion Sunday. I want to start NOW, even this early in the week to begin to think about the sacrifice of our Saviour, where I’m at in my relationship with him, where I want to be, how I can get there…I want to be in a place on Sunday morning where I get to my seat and can enter into worship the minute the band starts leading us…I want to know that there isn’t anything outstanding between myself and my Saviour. I think it’s the least that I could do in exchange for the precious gift of my salvation.  

How will you prepare your heart for this coming Sunday?  

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. —Galatians 2:20        
TueTuesdayMarMarch13th2012 Building blocks of a soul that is being fit for heaven
Posted Tuesday, March 13 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
In a recent message Todd included a variety of “am I growing?” questions. My small group had a great discussion about what growth in these various areas looked like, what it should like.  Most of us felt like we saw growth in a variety of areas but also saw a great need for growth in a number of other areas.  

I like to be able to measure things, check things off the list, see the progress…but sometimes it’s just hard to see. Sometimes the growth is obvious – the putting off of the old and putting on the new. Other times it takes a while to see or we feel like we’re not making any progress at all. The journey can be long, lonely and hard…even discouraging at times.  

I read a great blog by Elyse Fitzpatrick a while ago. She was talking about growth in the Christian life – how we compare ourselves to others and struggle with self-approval…she acknowledges how hard it is to see our hearts as deceitful and be so aware of our on-going struggle with sin.  

Elyse writes this about discouragement:  

…the Spirit continually reassures me, "You’re growing, because I’m at work. I’ve got this all well in hand and even your sin, the failures that make you think you’re shrinking, are the building blocks of a soul that is being fit for heaven. After all I’ve done to make you my own, would I leave you now?"

Here’s how Paul sought to encourage our timid little hearts: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 

It was a really encouraging blog so if you have three minutes to read the entire post you should!
ThuThursdayMarMarch8th2012 Spring Forward
Posted Thursday, March 08 2012 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I’m pretty excited for the spring – flip flops, spring jackets, opening the sunroof, watching the snow melt and waiting to see bursts of green and other colours, sunshine, birds singing…I love the springtime!

In anticipation of spring we SPRING FORWARD this weekend – remember to set your clocks *ahead* one hour on Saturday evening so that you make it to church on time! This is the time of year where it’s pretty noticeable if you show up an hour late to church…especially after last Sunday’s message… I’m thinking we’ll all want to be on time this coming weekend!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to sign a 16-week pledge to be on time and come with our hearts prepared for Sunday mornings, to meet regularly with our small group and to serve Christ…how are you doing with the follow through of this pledge? This could be a good weekend to think through, in a really practical way, how you’re going to follow through on these commitments. Does it mean getting clothes out the night before? Putting Bibles at the front door (or right out into the car)? Setting out part of breakfast the night before? Really thinking through what time you need to get out of bed and out of the house?

What practical change are you going to make in preparation of fulfilling your pledge (and creating a new normal) in the weeks to come?
TueTuesdayFebFebruary28th2012 The law of kindness
Posted Tuesday, February 28 2012 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I think I "present" well…I can make a decent impression on most people. I like people and I like people to like me (just another area I’m working on!) so I do my best to be kind, friendly and approachable…I would say that for the most part it comes fairly naturally to me because I really do enjoy people. However, those who are closest to me know who I am at my worst. They’ve seen me when I’ve had a stressful week, am lacking sleep and have failed to put my time with the Lord in the right priority – it’s sad (but probably not surprising) to tell you that I’m not so kind on those days…specifically with those closest to me.  

Nancy Leigh DeMoss addresses this and gives a good challenge to women (but I’d guess that there might be one or two men who read this and chew on it!):  

I think one of the places that kindness is most important and most neglected perhaps is where? Inside the four walls of our own homes. Why is it we are more kind to guests and to strangers, to visitors, than we are to those that we live with? Why do we take for granted those that we know the best?  

Now if someone comes into my home and spills something on the carpet (it has happened) or makes a mess or breaks something, I’m quick to say, as you would be if I were visiting in your home, “Oh, it’s no problem.” We’re quick, I’m quick when guests come to my home to show kindness. But what about the members of my own family? 

If there’s a guest in my home and she wants to talk about something that is of interest to her, I’m going to take as long as she wants to sit there and listen. I’m going to be kind and attentive. But what about when I’m with my mother, my brothers, my sisters, those that I’ve known all my life? They want to tell me a story or something that is happening in their life, and I’ve got a book that I’m more interested in reading at the moment?  

Are you kind in your own home? Are you kind to those that you know the best? It’s such an important thing—doing kind acts. This is one of the things that has always marked holy women of God. Do kind acts of service with hospitality, with cards, with notes, with being sensitive to the needs of others.  

(Nancy Leigh DeMoss in "Convicted by the Law of Kindness")  

I read this and felt pretty convicted about how I treat those closest to me. I want to be a woman whose character is consistent. OF COURSE those closest to me are the ones that I trust and feel I can be most transparent with BUT that doesn’t mean they should be my scapegoats for the hard week I’ve had! The ones I’m closest to should get my attention, my kindness, my time and my love…I’m spending some time this week praying about what that needs to look like in my life and I’m excited at what the Lord is going to do as I work on this area in his strength.  
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
TueTuesdayFebFebruary21st2012 Silly Putty
Posted Tuesday, February 21 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
Lately the Lord has really been impressing upon me the importance of encouraging and affirming others, pointing people to Christ and reflecting the glory of Christ in my life to the best of my ability. It just seems that almost everything I read, listen to, or find myself in conversation about is around these areas.  

I recently read a transcription from one of Joni Eareckson Tada’s radio bits called “God Impressions”. The visual really struck me (probably because even at 31 I still think that Silly Putty is pretty cool!):  

Do you remember Silly Putty? You could squeeze it, stretch it, and press it against Daffy Duck in a comic book to stamp his impression right there on the clay. I still think of that putty when I want to leave “God impressions” on people. You squeeze in a moment to press your love of Christ up against that person with your smile and words of encouragement. And when you peel away, you’ve left a God-impression on that individual.  

Matthew 5 says, “Don't hide your light!…let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.” Now someone may not immediately praise God, but I'm convinced they won't be able to shake their encounter with you, a true Christian. So today, if you encounter someone in need of hope, tenderly yet firmly press your love for Christ on them. It may end up as more praise for our Heavenly Father.  

I had a friend who made it a point to pray before she left her house that God would show her the people that she needed to stop and spend some time with. I doubt she ever showed up to church or a church function without having asked the Lord to make it clear to her who she was supposed to encourage during that specific time. It depends what kind of person you are but I know for me I can get overwhelmed going into a large group situation – I want to connect with as many people as possible but sometimes that’s just unrealistic and I need to be sensitive to who the Lord wants me to connect with. And I want to be intentional about speaking truth, hope and love into the lives of those that I get to interact with.  

Keep working on using your words to build up, affirm, love and point others to Christ – if we’re all working on this my guess is that Harvest Barrie is going to be an even more incredible place as we see Christ using us to push one another to deeper pursuits of holiness. And keep sharing the stories of what God is doing in your small groups and Bible studies – those stories encourage us as staff and a church family SO MUCH!
WedWednesdayFebFebruary15th2012 Affirmation
Posted Wednesday, February 15 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
Words go a long way…they can build up or tear down. I’m a words person…to me words show love and care…they build me up. However, even though I place such importance on words I don’t always do a great job of using my words to affirm others, I could always stand to be growing in this. I want to be a person who consistently uses my words to affirm others and point them to Christ.  

I want my words to count…not just telling someone that I like their hair cut or earrings but telling someone when I can clearly see Christ working in them, when I observe someone responding to a situation with grace and patience, when someone goes above and beyond the expectations of them to serve Christ, when someone steps outside of their comfort zone to show the love of Christ…I know we don’t do these things to get noticed or recognized (hopefully!) but let’s all agree that it’s encouraging to have someone see a little growth in us or be able to see Christ in us – the walk can be hard and lonely…cheerleaders are a good thing – we should all be aiming to be cheerleaders for at least a few people in our lives.  

Here’s what Sam Crabtree says about affirmation:  

Striving to affirm others puts us in the practice of looking at them positively--that is, looking for evidences of God's work in them. Affirmation changes us before it changes them. It is one of the more beautiful features that God has designed into this fallen world, namely, that no one can sincerely benefit another without benefiting himself.  

I can be so quick to point out the negative while taking the positive for granted, assuming people around me will behave the way I think they should and forgetting that I might have a role to play in encouraging them to behave in certain ways. We become preoccupied by the chores of marriage, children, jobs, church, and pets, and we lose sight of God's purpose for everything in this life--to conform us to the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:28-29). We so easily move away from being on the lookout for the life of Christ in our counterparts.  

Look out the window: what are those heavens out there doing? They're declaring the glory of God. But worship is aroused only in those who have eyes to see it! And now look at your neighbor, your spouse, your child, your parent, your coworker, your pastor. Do you see God's glory there? The image of God is present in all humans, but is often missed by those not looking for it.  

Affirmation doesn't require deep insight, just simple sight. And action. See good things and point them out with appreciation.  

Take a minute to pick just ONE person that you’re going to affirm today then DO IT…then pick another one for tomorrow and every day following…God IS at work all around us…but we need to watch to see him working.
ThuThursdayFebFebruary9th2012 Who ya gonna call?
Posted Thursday, February 09 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
I was never a huge fan of Ghostbusters but do I love the theme song.  

The first time I ever gave much thought to the question "who ya gonna call?" was a couple years ago after reading an article on gossip that addressed the issue of why we talk to others instead of Christ. I realized that I often go to my friends to complain, vent or talk through things. If I’m being honest I’m usually doing this to make myself feel better (and make the other person look worse) or to feel supported/affirmed in the situation. I think we all know that this can be unhelpful…many times even dangerous.  

Don’t get me wrong – friends are great! I am thankful for many sweet friends who let me talk things out, speak truth into my life, point me to Christ, encourage me and pray for me…I really am blessed. But I need to go to Christ before I go to my friends – HE needs to be my default – but that’s not always how it is with me. When I go to Christ first I’m usually able to avoid saying things to friends that I will later regret, because my head and heart are in a better spot.  

I recently read some thoughts from Nancy Leigh DeMoss on this that have me really thinking about it again:  

When you’re in crisis, who do you call first? I think we can learn a lot from Habakkuk. He knew who to call when his world was falling apart. The first words we read from this biblical prophet are “O Lord!”   He could have looked at the power structures of his day and cried out, “O King!”

He could have looked at the dominant world power and said, “O Assyrians!” He could have studied trends and cried out to a rising nation, “O Babylonians!”  

But like a child wisely calling for his parent, Habakkuk knew the source of all love, power, and protection, so he called, “O Lord.”  

Ultimately, the perspective you need won’t be found by going to a counselor or a therapist. It won’t come from a book or a trusted friend or even an earthly parent. Some of these may help, if they point you to God Himself. But ultimately, the peace, the perspective, and the answers you need will be found by going to the Wonderful Counselor.  

Thankful for friends…and even more thankful for my Heavenly Father who has ALL the answers and comfort that I need.                  
WedWednesdayFebFebruary1st2012 Harvest Barrie Business Cards
Posted Wednesday, February 01 2012 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
Sometimes I start my day off praying that God would give me opportunities to share Christ with someone or be an encouragement to someone. I don’t do this every day…I could do it more often. Sadly, I think there are days that I pray this prayer and then forget about it and probably miss numerous opportunities throughout the day. However, last week I had a really cool opportunity that I am so thankful I didn’t miss.  

I needed to get a pair of jeans hemmed…I’ve taken my hemming to the same place for over four years but last week I almost took my jeans to somewhere closer then changed my mind at the last minute. When I got to the shop I was the only customer so I had some time to chat with the owner. Church came up pretty quickly and it turns out that this woman’s neighbour comes to Harvest and the Lord has been doing a significant work in her life so we were able to talk about that for a bit. Then she asked where our church met and I was able to whip out a Harvest Barrie business card to give to her. As we wrapped up our conversation I was even able to pray with her – so cool! I didn’t see her on Sunday but I’m hopeful that the Lord will bring her through our doors and that we’ll be the church family that she needs.  

I LOVE our Harvest Barrie business cards. So great to have a few tucked in my wallet and in my car for times like that, to leave in restaurants for servers, with cashiers at the grocery store…we all have people that we find ourselves in conversation with about church, how great to be able to put something in their hands.  

We prayed on Sunday evening that the Lord would give each of us a burden for the lost…these cards are just one very small tool that we can use as we interact with those who still need him but sometimes they might open a bigger door. Make sure to re-stock your cards – we have lots at the office, on the usher table on Sunday mornings (at the back of the worship centre) and at Connections. If you have a story about how you’ve been able to use one of these cards PLEASE SHARE!  
TueTuesdayJanJanuary24th2012 Cleanliness is not overrated
Posted Tuesday, January 24 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
This past week I found myself in a public pool…I was with a friend and we were waiting for a class to start. Everything was great except for the teen who had a massive nose bleed sitting in the corner of the pool area, we actually commented that we’d never seen such a bad nose bleed. We continued chatting but all of a sudden I saw panic come across my friend’s face and followed her gaze (read here "look of horror") to see that this teen was getting into the very pool that we were standing in and was being instructed to wash his face off! We were both slightly disturbed by this but class was starting so we took our places at the far end of the pool and thanked the Lord for high dosages of chlorine. About 35 minutes later both of us clued in at the exact same time that the teen and his fake nose bleed were part of a First Aid class – HUGE sigh of relief!  

I have a strong appreciation for cleanliness – I like clean laundry, clean dishes, clean sheets…clean simply makes me happy. The Lord appreciates cleanliness too but he’s a whole let less concerned about the laundry, dishes and sheets…and a lot more concerned with the cleanliness of our hearts.  

Funny enough (I am so convinced that God has such a sense of humor!) the morning of the public pool incident I had spent some sweet time praying very specifically through Psalm 51 – thanking the Lord for cleansing my heart, asking Christ to reveal to me areas where I still need to allow him to work and cleanse me, asking Christ to break my heart for what breaks his – that I wouldn’t tolerate sin in my life once it is revealed to me, asking the Lord to give me a clean heart and a right spirit, to set me apart to bring glory to his name. This psalm is rich and easy to pray through in a personal way.   Working through this psalm the Lord has shown me some areas that need cleaning up. Can I encourage you to spend some time praying through this psalm and asking the Lord to reveal areas in your life that need more of him?

I’m pretty fired up about the thing that God’s been doing at Harvest Barrie and am really excited to dream of all that he might have for us in the weeks and months ahead. The thing is, I want to be ready…and I want to be part of this thing…so I want to be diligent to keep short accounts with God and to be working on the areas of my life that he’s showing me need work.   Who’s with me!? :o)      
WedWednesdayJanJanuary11th2012 Giving Hope
Posted Wednesday, January 11 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Today my heart is heavy for a few friends who are walking through some really hard things…these friends all love the Lord and believe that he is sovereign…but right now there’s a lot of pain and hurt; questions but not a lot of answers. I know that the best thing that I can do right now is simply pray…maybe make a couple of meals or offer some other practical help…but really prayer is the best thing that I can offer my friends.  

I want to be a friend who encourages those around me…pretty sure we all want to be that kind of friend. I don’t want to offer "easy" platitudes – empty promises that everything will be fine or that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle – sometimes those words just aren’t helpful for a person who is hurting. I want to be a friend that gives hope and points others to Christ with words that are full of truth and grace. I want to love my friends in a way that they are reminded of Christ’s love for them.  

A few years ago I read Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand by Paul David Tripp. Last year I read this book again – I totally recommend this book. Tripp talks about how all of us can help others, even though we’re still in need of help ourselves. This book has helped to equip me for some tough situations – those times when you don’t know the words to say so sometimes avoid the situation and by doing so hurt those who are already hurting. 

Tripp says this about giving hope to those around us:  

Giving hope is about helping a person see the Lord. Suffering commands our attention and clouds our vision, making it easy to forget what anchors our faith. Because trouble has such power to blind and confuse us, it is a sweet grace to have someone come alongside and point us to the One who is a rock, a fortress, a refuge, a hiding place, and a shield. We all need someone to remind us that life is not defined by our pain but by our union with Christ.  

Giving hope is more than convincing people that things will get better or helping them decide what to do. Giving hope introduces them to a Person. It helps people who are dealing with the unthinkable to view life from the perspective of God's glory and grace and their identity as his children...It is in the darkest night that the glory of the Redeemer's love and grace shines brightest. Hope points people toward the Light.  

I doubt you’re reading this without someone coming to mind that could use some hope today. Take a minute to pray for that person and ask the Lord to show you how he could use you to give hope to them today…step out of your comfort zone and allow the Lord to use you to love that person today.  
WedWednesdayJanJanuary4th2012 The little things
Posted Wednesday, January 04 2012 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
“The little things” – things that can be so positive and bring such joy OR things that can be so negative and cause such pain.  The little things count, good or bad, they count. Really, it all counts…we just don’t like to admit it or pay attention to the finer details.

The same is true when it comes to matters of the heart isn’t it?  We put sin into categories and as long as we’re not struggling with a really bad one we’re OK. Ummmmm NO. There’s no ‘little sin’ to God. Christ is about our personal holiness…as in…there’s no room for even a little sin in our lives. Sin is sin…we need to call it that…*I* need to call it that.

I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions…I feel the need to deal with things on a more ongoing basis and do my best to determine to see them through but as I think about the coming year I’m thinking that I need to pursue personal holiness harder than last year and the year before…I need to be constantly maturing in my walk with Christ – I hope that you have the same heart.

Marybeth Whalen from Proverbs 31 Ministry wrote a blog in November that talked about the little things…I thought I’d share part of it:

“My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.”  Psalm 38:5 (NIV)

It was just a little thing. A small stone or piece of shell I’d stepped on at some point during my walk on the beach. I figured I didn’t need to worry about it. Eventually it would work its way out. So I ignored it and went on with life. But weeks later my plan wasn’t working. The little thing hadn’t gone away. It had only worked its way deeper into my foot. I was having more and more trouble walking. And my little thing had become harder to ignore. At my husband’s insistence, I finally visited the doctor, who told me that something that could’ve been handled easily at the beginning had now turned into a much bigger problem. What could’ve been as simple as removing a splinter now involved cutting into my foot. I thought of the little things in my life I’ve ignored, letting them work their way deeper instead of plucking them out while they were still easy to get to. Resentment, anger, jealousy, gossip, unforgiveness and unkind thoughts can be plucked out the moment we realize they’re there. But leave them untended and they go deeper. What could be a matter of prayer and accountability becomes a full blown life issue that controls us and causes pain—not just for us, but for others as well. Ignore the little things and they become big problems; plucking becomes carving. Like our verse today, our sinful folly causes wounds that fester instead of heal. I didn’t take the time to go to the doctor. I didn’t want to mess with the inconvenience or the pain of having my little thing dealt with. I thought I could handle it on my own. But I couldn’t. I needed a physician to do what I could not. It is the same for those little things in my thought life as well. I need the Great Physician to remove what I can’t reach — and do it before it becomes so deep that it’s part of who I am. When I’m struggling with little things, I’ve learned to ask God to help me see what is going on through His Word and prayer. Then I listen to the Holy Spirit’s convictions and seek honesty from friends and family. As a friend of mine says, “The truth might hurt, but the truth also heals.” We must be intentional about being honest with ourselves and do whatever it takes to identify and remove the potentially damaging little things in our hearts and in our thought lives.  

Let’s be willing to deal with the little things before they get to be really gross, painful, big things that have worse consequences…let’s call sin, sin and cut it off. Go to your small group this week and get some accountability around the little things, the respectable sins and let God grow you this year.    
WedWednesdayDecDecember28th2011 But you wanted to
Posted Wednesday, December 28 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
It’s not for everyone but I enjoy it once in a while – Christian fiction. There, I said it. Not the cheesy, continuously quoting Jeremiah 29:11, they lived happily ever after kind of Christian fiction but well-written, thought-provoking fiction. A few months ago a friend got me into the author, Angela Hunt – really enjoying her. I recently read her book "Uncharted"…I don’t want to give too much of the story away but at one point the various characters of the book are all separately seeing what they think are hallucinations. They’re seeing themselves in specific situations that they've lived through and are familiar with, but how they’re acting and responding in the hallucinations are not accurate to reality. As these scenes unfold the characters realize that how they’re watching themselves react is how they had wanted to react when they were in the situation. The voice inside them continues to say, ‘...but you wanted to’ when they try to defend themselves by saying that they didn’t act out as horrendously as they have seen themselves acting in the hallucinations.  

It really made me start to think about what this would look like in my life. When I’m in the Georgian Mall parking lot at Christmas and someone cuts me off to get into an empty spot my response that day was to grip the steering wheel a little tighter and get frustrated (and you all thought that was bad!), while in my head I had visions of just ramming into cars with my car – it looks fun and fulfilling in the movies!!! Or what about the times when I’ve needed to hear truth in love from a friend – my response on the outside may have been godly and gracious but my heart has often not responded graciously on the inside – I won’t get into that, it’s not pretty. We’re in situations daily where our outside response is more acceptable/attractive/godly than what’s really going on in our hearts.  

“But you wanted to” – Christ sees it all. He knows the deepest, darkest, most disgusting depths of our hearts…of MY heart. He’s willing to get into those places and change us to become more like him, a better representation of him. Christ desires so much more for us and loves us enough to pour out grace and mercy in our lives because we are wretched sinners desperately in need of a Saviour. Our desire for ourselves needs to be that our heart response lines up with our outward response in a way that glorifies Christ and sets us apart.  

You’ve just come through Christmas – work parties, family gatherings…I’m sure not everyone has been a delight to be around. What do you need to confess before the Lord? What did you want to do that you didn’t actually act upon but was the response of your heart?  

I’m thankful that I don’t always say and do the things that seem like they’d be a good idea in the moment…I know that there HAS been growth in me that is Christ alone. But I know that I could still grow a lot…so I continue to examine my heart responses and remember that Christ sees it all. 

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.    1 John 3:16-20
Amy
ThuThursdayDecDecember22nd2011 Glory to God in the Highest
Posted Thursday, December 22 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Christmas 0 comments Add comment
Just a few more sleeps until Christmas. Are you ready? More importantly – is your heart ready? Have you spent time this month preparing for what we’re REALLY celebrating? More than the decorations, the gifts, the baking, the parties…so easy to get caught up in the festivities of the season and lose focus on WHY we celebrate this season.  

One of my good friends attends a Baptist church that does the whole lighting of the advent wreath thing…her family was on for the first Sunday – apparently it was a bit of a gong show with her two and a half year old fighting her for the mic during the Scripture reading. Even though we don’t do the advent thing at Harvest I think it’s important to observe it on our own time just to help focus us and keep us grounded during this season.  

If you’re looking for a resource maybe check out Come, Thou Long-ExpectedJesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas edited by Nancy Guthrie. Christmas can be a pretty tough time for people due to a variety of reasons. Woody shared with us a few weeks ago how tough some anniversaries are…depending what the anniversary is it can be even more heightened during the holiday season. Maybe it’s not an anniversary…maybe it’s strained family relationships or a lack of family relationships…maybe it’s just a tough time of year for reasons you have yet to figure out.  

In the book I mentioned above Pastor Ray Ortlund reminds us that our reason for rejoicing during this season is only found when we shift our focus from earthly pain to heavenly purposes:   

"God will make sure that he is supremely glorified. 'Glory to God in the highest' is the chorus of the angels broadcast into this world of enslavement to drugs and cynical lies and broken dreams and national disgrace. 'Glory to God in the highest' proclaims that there is something higher than the height of our sin. God reigns supreme over all, and God will not allow evil to succeed here in his world. He will get himself glory out of this world. And so he should. If God’s heart is attuned to love only what is best, then God loves his own glory above all else. He will share his glory with no one, and that is the most wonderful thing of all about God. He will not unGod himself. What if he did? Where would we be then? He steadily, faithfully guides history and our lives toward a God-glorifying conclusion. Isn’t it interesting how in Christmas cards on public displays we often see the words, 'Peace on earth, good will toward men'? But how seldom we see the prior words, 'Glory to God in the highest'! But there is no peace, there is no good will, unless there is glory to God in the highest first. We forget to put God’s glory first. Fortunately, he does not. God will be glorified. Would you or I have begun this announcement the way the angels did, with glory to God first? Obviously, the angels did not understand the importance of relevance and contextualization and meeting felt needs. They started with God, not with peace on earth! Why? Because the most relevant message to this sin-ruined world was, is, and always will be, 'Glory to God in the highest.' Our whole problem is our God-neglect. But the best news for sinners like you and me is that, whatever we might do, God is still God, God is glorious, and God’s glory is supreme over all other realities. And when his glorious kingdom is finally consummated, then there will be perfect peace on earth, good will toward men… God has come to us in Christ to bring glory to himself in the highest as he grants us peace here in our lives. What can we do but rejoice?"  

You still have a few days to really prepare your heart to celebrate Christmas…take some time today to be still and ask the Lord to prepare your heart so that this Christmas might be different, full of rejoicing and celebrating the glory of God.  

Merry Christmas
ThuThursdayDecDecember15th2011 Bah Humbug
Posted Thursday, December 15 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Christmas 3 comments Add comment
Saturdays at the Georgian Mall in December…bah humbug. I have been so excited for the Christmas season this year and that excitement took a significant hit when I pulled into the mall parking lot. I couldn’t find parking…I’d wait for a spot only to lose it to a car that whipped in front of me. I was seething within five minutes but didn’t realize how drastically my mood had changed until I looked at the friend I was with who was staring at me like I was a three-headed monster…I pretty much was!! It was humbling. Minutes before pulling into the mall parking lot we’d been chatting away about the joys of Christmas as we patiently waited in the Tim Horton’s drive thru and then BAM I had allowed every ounce of Christmas cheer and joy to be sucked from me. REALLY!?!? Over parking!?!? I mean, I have two legs that work…I can park far away and walk – it wasn’t even cold or snowy out!!  
My flesh can really annoy me…I see the power of Christ and his transformation in my life in areas A, B and C…and that’s exciting! But then I see areas D, E, F….Z, aa…(you get the idea) where I still need Christ to do a great work in me – it would appear that patience is one of those areas.  

I found my parking spot (far away) and spent some time praying as I walked towards the mall, convicted by how easily I had allowed my joy to be sucked from me as I gave into anger…well, really – sin. I was thankful that I was with a friend who lovingly expressed concern over my reaction and then allowed me a couple minutes to deal with it.  It would have been a much worse witness for Christ had I been with a friend or family member who doesn’t know Christ.  

Just another reminder of how *I* fall short. I need to be constantly pursuing the things of Christ and allowing him to work in my life so that I can be set apart for him and used for his glory. And I need to be really aware of my responses not just because I want to be a witness to others but because I need to be more like Christ.   Galatians 2.20 says this:   

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  

We need to continue to pursue Christ and allow him to live through us. He loves us and gave himself for us…the least I could do is not have a Christmas temper tantrum in the mall parking lot.

Amy
WedWednesdayNovNovember23rd2011 Unlearning Prayer
Posted Wednesday, November 23 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment
Did you love the book "Transforming Prayer" as much as I did!?! I hope so! I LOVE that book because it really shaped/changed my personal prayer life…it was challenging and I’ve by no means arrived when it comes to prayer but I feel further along than I was six months ago and that excites me! And I’m for sure further along than my childhood mealtime blessing of: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank him for this food. Amen.”  

Daniel Henderson talked about the idea of "unlearning prayer" – it seems like a weird concept but I get it. All of us have had people in our lives who have shaped our idea of prayer – what it is, what it should sound like, why we do it…but there’s potential that what we’ve been taught doesn’t quite line up with what Scripture says about prayer.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve learned about prayer over the years and I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in the past few months is not coming to God with a "grocery list" but taking really intentional time to magnify his name, pray through Scriptures, pray according to his will the best I can, confessing areas of weakness and sin where I need help and forgiveness…but still bringing him my requests before him…in such a way that I think beyond “heal this person (because that would be nice)” to asking for healing but recognizing that God is using the thing for his glory.  

The following quote really helped focus me when it comes to bringing my request to God:  

“...Jesus is not like a genie in a bottle whom we can command by invoking His name. When we pray, we should be doing more than looking heavenward, believing with all our might that our wish will come true, and instead of repeating, "Star light, star bright, bring the wish I wish tonight," saying, "In Jesus' name, amen."

Two problems immediately arise when we treat prayer like a surefire wishing star. First, we limit God by the wisdom of our wishes. If God were really obligated to do what we think should happen, then God would be tethered to the leash of our understanding. Our wishes would fence God's omniscience within the limits of our brain and restrict His plans to the extent of our insight. But if our wisdom defines the limits of God's, then our world will inevitably unravel. The job we may want for extra income may take us from the family that God knows needs us more. The immediate cure for our sickness may deny doctors an insight that would save millions or may deprive us of the patience that God will use to bring Jesus into the hearts of our children. We must trust God more than our wishes or concede that our world will be controlled by billions of competing wishes that we have neither the power nor the wisdom to control.

The second problem with making prayer a wishing well is forcing the conclusion that prayers, like wishing wells, are fantasies. Everyone suffers. We live in a fallen world. Biblical prayer does not solve all our earthly problems, and God never promised that it would. Jesus did not even promise His disciples a perpetual bed of roses. Instead, He said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).

Prayer does not relieve all suffering, but it assures us that no difficulty comes without a purpose. When we pray "in Jesus' name," we have God's assurance that He will answer our prayer in a way that brings glory to Jesus and furthers His kingdom…You cannot avoid trials; you can have confidence of their purpose. You cannot bind God by your prayers; you can guarantee His blessing. You cannot direct the will of God; you can pray according to His will and rest in the assurance of His love. You can pray knowing that God will marshal the powers of heaven to accomplish on earth all He knows is best for your eternity.
~Bryan Chapell in "Praying Backwards"
ThuThursdayNovNovember17th2011 The Word of God is ALIVE!
Posted Thursday, November 17 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
In our Hebrews memory project we’ve recently memorized Hebrews 4:12 that tells us that “…the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  

This is such a great verse to really think about.  I had a prof at Heritage who used to say that “every time we crack open the Bible we’re looking into the face of God” – that statement changed the way I looked at my Bible and the action of opening it was forever changed. I believe Roger recently quoted Kent Shaw (Executive Director of Harvest Bible Fellowship) on a Sunday morning - “The Word of God’s like a lion, get it out of its cage and it will fend for itself.”  

God’s Word is ALIVE and it CAN fend for itself.  Scripture has the power to stop us in our tracks, to reveal sin our lives, to lift our heads, to reveal who God really is, to discern our thoughts, to give us wisdom, to rebuke and reprove…because God loves us he gave us his Word to teach and instruct our paths.  

John MacArthur shares a great story in his book “Our Sufficiency in Christ” about the power of the Word of God. This story really has me thinking about people who need to receive a Bible from me:  

Not long ago a man I had never met before walked into my office and said, “I need help. I feel strange coming to you, because I’m not even a Christian. I’m Jewish. Until a few weeks ago I had never even been in a church. But I need help from someone, so I decided to talk to you.”

I assured him I would do my best to help him. I asked him to sit down and explain what was troubling him. The conversation went something like this: “I’ve been divorced twice,” he said, “and now I’m living with a woman who is my lover. I don’t even like her, but I haven’t got the courage to leave her and go back to my second wife.” “I’m a medical doctor,” he continued. “Worse, I’m an abortionist. I kill babies for a living…I know I’m doomed to hell because of what I’ve done. I’m absolutely miserable and unhappy. I’m continually seeing a psychoanalyst and I’m not getting any help at all. I can’t stand the guilt of all this. I don’t know what to do about it. Can you help me?”

I said to him, “No I can’t help you.” He looked at me, startled. Sheer desperation was evident in his face. I let it sink in. Then I said, “But I know Someone who can help you: Jesus Christ.” He said sadly, “But I don’t know who He is. I’ve been taught all my life not to believe in Him.” I said, “Would you like to know who Jesus Christ is?” He said, “I would if He can help me.” “Here’s what I want you to do.” I reached over and took a bible off my desk and opened it to the Gospel of John. I said, “I want you to take this book home and read this part called the Gospel of John. I want you to keep reading until you know who Jesus Christ is. Then call me again.”

The next Friday I received a telephone call. The doctor wanted to see me again. We made an appointment. He showed up precisely on time…dropped the Bible beside him, and said, “I know who He is.” I said, “You do?” He said, “Yes, I do.” “Who is He?” I asked. “I’ll tell you one thing–He’s not just a man.” I said, “Really? Who is He?” “He’s God!” he said with finality. “What convinced you?” I asked. “Look at the words He said, and look at the things He did! No one could say and do those things unless He was God. Do you know what else He did? He rose from the dead! They buried Him, and three days later, He came back from the dead! That proves He is God, doesn’t it? God Himself came into this world!” I asked him, “Do you know why He came?” “Yes. He came to die for my sin. And as soon as I clean up my life I’m going to become a Christian.” I said, “That’s the wrong approach. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior now, and let Him clean up your life.” Then I asked the man, “What would such a decision mean in your career?” “Well,” he said, “I spent this afternoon writing my resignation letter to the abortion clinic. When I get out of here I’m going to call my second wife and bring her to church with me.” And he did. Why would anyone question Scripture’s power to reach such a person? The fact is, nothing I could have ever said to that man would have been more effective than the Spirit-inspired truth of the Bible itself in convicting him of his sin and illuminating his need for Christ.  
TueTuesdayNovNovember8th2011 Christmas Music
Posted Tuesday, November 08 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Christmas 2 comments Add comment
It’s November – totally fair game to start talking about Christmas music!  

A couple of weeks ago I went to see David Crowder for his final tour – AMAZING concert – the man is a lyrical genius. I had been really hoping that they’d play some songs from their Christmas album “Oh for Joy” – they did not disappoint! It was a really fun night with sweet friends, great music, a nice hotel and fun shopping in the States the following day.  

“Oh for Joy” is an album well worth the iTunes price of $7.99.  The songs are traditional and familiar but with that Crowder flare that has made him who he is. My personal favourite is the band’s version of Carol of the Bells – the guitars are brilliant – totally comparable to Tran Siberian Orchestra in my humble opinion!  

A few other “must haves” when it comes to Christmas music:  

1.     Home for Christmas (Amy Grant)
2.     North Point Christmas
3.     Songs for Christmas (Phil Wickham)
4.     Peace on Earth (Casting Crowns)
5.     How Many Kings (Downhere)
6.     Christmas in Diverse City (Toby Mac) – I haven’t listened but hear that it’s great!  

If you have a favorite Christmas album I’d love your suggestions!

Amy
TueTuesdayNovNovember1st2011 Laughter
Posted Tuesday, November 01 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
As a kid I really enjoyed The Reader’s Digest section “Laughter, the Best Medicine” – it made the wait in the doctor’s office so much more bearable, even if I didn’t really get every joke. As I got older I realized just how good laughter was for me – I think I’ve always taken myself a little too seriously…first born, only girl – someone had to be the serious one in our family!  

A common phrase around the office is, “what’s funny later is funny now” – I try to remind myself of that – sometimes it works better than other times.  Last Christmas at the staff Christmas party Amber and I were giggling all night and then we just LOST it at one point – I could barely breathe, we both had tears running down our cheeks and no one else was laughing – they were just staring at us – it was fantastic – I LOVE moments like that and friends to share those moments with.  

Nehemiah 8 at the end of verse 10 says that, “the joy of the LORD is your strength” – joy, laughter, fun, celebration – these are all good gifts that the Lord has given us to bear us up and lift our heads in the midst of doing life that is sometimes hard.  

In The Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster talks about the benefits of laughter:  

*it saves us from taking ourselves too seriously - "of all people, we should be the most free, alive, interesting" – if I walk around like I’m carrying the burdens of the world why would that be attractive to a person who does not yet know Christ?  

*it is an effective antidote for the periodic sense of sadness that can constrict and oppress the heart – life can be hard, but God promises grace for us in the midst of hard times.  

*it has the ability to give us perspective - "We can laugh at ourselves. We come to see that the causes we champion are not nearly so monumental as we would like to believe."  

*it tends towards more celebration - “Joy begets joy. Laughter begets laughter.”  

Despite where you’re at in life or what things weigh heavy on your heart today, I hope that you’ll find something to chuckle (or laugh your head off) at today – laughter really does seem to be great medicine for the soul!
TueTuesdayOctOctober25th2011 I’m Responsible
Posted Tuesday, October 25 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 3 comments Add comment
I like to be in charge but I don’t always like to be responsible – responsibility means that if something goes wrong I need to own it.  

When it comes to my spiritual health *I* am responsible. As much as I appreciate the hours and effort that Todd pours into study and developing a sermon each week that is full of truth and the time that Roger puts in to developing small group questions that help me apply truths to my life – these guys aren’t fully responsible for my spiritual health.  

A year ago I began the discipline of rising early (for me!) in the morning to spend my time with the Lord – this has proven to be a sweet discipline for me that  (most days) I look forward to.  I own the responsibility of making sure that I’m in the Word daily, studying the Word, talking with God throughout the day, memorizing the Word, applying it to my life, being accountable to others, living out my faith…no one can do this for me – if I want to be spiritually healthy and growing *I* need to be responsible.  

This quote from John MacArthur challenged me this week as I thought about how much study I put into my time with the Lord – I could go deeper:  
Spiritual discernment flourishes in an environment of intense, faithful Bible study. You will not be spiritually discerning–even though you desire it, pray for it, learn from the gifted and mature, and depend on the Holy Spirit –unless you diligently study His Word. Only there will you find the principles and truths to discern between truth and error. In Acts 17, for example, the Jewish people of Berea received Paul’s preaching eagerly, and then tested his gospel message by comparing it to the teachings of the Old Testament. As a result many became believers… Second Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” The laborer who gives maximum effort to the quality of his work will not be ashamed because of any faulty workmanship. That means the believer is to present God’s Word accurately to others in contrast to those “wrangle about words” or engage in “worldly and empty chatter” (vv. 14, 16). By doing so, he will receive God’s approval and be counted as one worthy to stand alongside Him. The unashamed believer can say, “Lord, I studied and presented Your Word with integrity.” What about you? How do you study God’s Word? In a superficial, careless way, or carefully and thoughtfully? Digging deeply into God’s Word requires effort, but remember this: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
~John MacArthur in "Discernment: Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis"  
You’re responsible for your spiritual health. We won’t stand before Christ at the end of our life and hear him ask if Pastor Todd kept us healthy by bringing a solid word every Sunday we attended Harvest Barrie.  

What are some tools that you use in your personal study of the Word?      
WedWednesdayOctOctober5th2011 Entertaining Angels
Posted Wednesday, October 05 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
I've never met an angel...that I know of. I used to love the show "Touched by an Angel" when I was growing up. Monica, Tess and Andrew were a trio of angels sent to earth to tell depressed and troubled people that God loves them and hasn't forgotten them. It was a "little" over the top but a wholesome show with a good message.  

As Pastor Todd talked to us about angels a couple weeks ago and mentioned Hebrews 13:2 as a mandate for Welcome! Ministries at Harvest it really got me thinking about angels again.  

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  

That’s a pretty crazy thing to think about but the thing is – we don’t know from week to week who will walk through the doors at Harvest. Angel or not, there are people who NEED to know that God loves them and that the church will love them when they feel like no one else will.   

Each Sunday morning we’re seeing new guests come through our doors and that is SO exciting! We have a parking team that is a person’s first point of welcome as they pull into the parking lot – rain, sun, snow – they are a team serving the Lord! There is a Welcome! team that serves each week greeting people at the doors they enter, handing them a bulletin and a Bible if needed, ushering people to their seats – touch point #2! Guest reception, Connections, coffee, Higher Ground desk and bookstore are all other areas where people would get a warm welcome.  

Here’s the thing: YOU could join one of these official teams and serve in this way (just let me know – ) OR you could just make it a personal ministry to approach someone new each week – look for the person or the couple standing alone in the lobby nervously sipping their coffee and hoping that SOMEONE will approach them…BE THAT PERSON! Show Christ to that person.  

We just don’t know what a person has gone through in a week, what made them decide to try God or church just one more time…we don’t even know if they’re human! But we can serve Christ by showing hospitality and love.  
This has been a really good reminder for me to get really intentional about connecting with people on Sunday mornings. If our whole church got super intentional we’d stand out to the world in a whole new way. I like that idea.    
ThuThursdaySepSeptember22nd2011 Love that Doesn’t Fluctuate
Posted Thursday, September 22 2011 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
God LOVES you...do you know that? Really know that? I know it but am learning it more and more.

I've been reading and studying more about God's great love for me over the past few months and I'm learning a whole new side of who I believe God to be. I've had numerous times in the past few months where I have been completely overwhelmed by his love, his sacrifice, his grace and blessings poured out on me so freely.

I read “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp and really had my perspective changed – I’ve started a Thankfulness Journal with a goal to record a minimum of 1000 gifts by the end of next summer – the journal travels with me and the exercise forces me to slow down and SEE the gifts Christ gives me, be thankful for the them and see his love in those gifts.  

I also read this great quote:  

It’s essential for us to think about God’s love today because it is only his love that can grant us the joy that will strengthen our hearts, the courage that will embolden us in our fight against sin and the assurance that will enable us to open up our lives to him so that he might deal powerfully with our unbelief and idolatry. If we’re not completely convinced that his love is ours right now–fully and unalterably ours–we’ll always hide in the shadows, focusing on our performance, fearing his wrath. Prayer will be hard because we won’t want to approach him or be transparent before him. Witnessing will be a chore, for who would want to talk to others about a god who is demanding, angry, or cold? If we don’t consciously live in the light of his love, the gospel will be secondary, virtually meaningless, and Jesus Christ will fade into insignificance. Our faith will become all about us, our performance, and how we think we’re doing, and our transformation will be hindered. What must we remember? Simply that God loves us so much that he crushed his Son so that we might be his and that this love isn’t based on our worthiness or performance. His love doesn’t fluctuate from day-to-day. It was settled the moment he set it upon you before the foundation of the world. God has spoken to us about his love and the gospel in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Will that love transform the way you live today?
~Elyse Fitzpatrick in Because He Loves Me  

I WANT my life to be transformed by God’s love and I want to be a reflection of his love...I want to be radical…To Him Be Glory – in my life and the life of our church. Let’s GO!
TueTuesdaySepSeptember13th2011 Training
Posted Tuesday, September 13 2011 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I read a great article recently about the importance of training those who serve in the church, here’s the opening quote:
“The concept of needing tools to make or repair things is not new to us. Mechanics use tools to fix our cars, cooks use tools (utensils) to cook a meal, carpenters use tools to build a house. One of the ways you can tell if you have found a professional or an expert to do a job is to notice if they come equipped with the appropriate tools. (A plumber who asks if he can borrow your wrench would hardly evoke your confidence.)”
Tools are important – bottom line.

As a staff we are SO thankful for those who serve at Harvest Barrie, who join us in practically doing the ministry entrusted to us. We love our volunteer appreciation event in June where we get to celebrate the things that God has done in and through us as we’ve served him throughout the year. We also love fall training day where we spend time doing specific training with the various ministry teams of Harvest Barrie – casting vision, reviewing new (and old) processes, giving you tools, encouraging you, praying with you – it’s all about striving to serve Christ with excellence and doing what we do to fulfill the Great Commission!

If you serve at Harvest Barrie we really want you to join us for the morning of Saturday, October 1 so that we can fill your tool belt! Check out the schedule of the day, if you require on-site childcare and let your ministry leader know that you’re going to be there!

If you don’t YET serve but want to be a part of one of these amazing teams and join us for a great morning!

Pumped for this ministry year and all that God has for us…excited to see us gain some more tools and grow in excellence.

Amy
TueTuesdayAugAugust30th2011 Teacher Appreciation
Posted Tuesday, August 30 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I’m so thankful for quite a number of the various teachers I’ve been blessed with in my life. My grade three teacher gave up lunch hours to teach me how to play guitar (not that I can still play!), Awana leaders and Sunday school teachers loved and encouraged me, my grade 11 biology teacher encouraged me to work hard and succeed in science (not my strongest subject),  my youth leaders – Carol Zorgel prayed for me for many years and I’m blessed to still have her in my life here at Harvest, and my profs from Heritage – some of them poured into my life both in the classroom and in their homes with their families . I’ve been so blessed and am so thankful for these people and the impact they’ve had on my life. I know that my parents were always thankful for these people as well…they saw them as help in the process of attempting to raise me – not an easy task!

As I walk through Wal-Mart it’s easy to tell that "back to school" has hit full force. This week I read a blog written by a former teacher that gave really practical advice to parents on appreciating their child’s teachers more…there is a lot of really great stuff. I wanted to share a few ideas that really struck me as you prepare for back to school:
  • Pray for your child’s teacher
  • Make a purposeful effort to encourage your child’s teacher throughout the school year. To say that teaching is a tough profession would be a serious understatement. Especially for those committed to loving God and loving their students well through their profession, teaching is an exhausting and nearly all-consuming task. Good teachers give more and work harder to help their students succeed than most parents would ever imagine. And although giving is rewarding, it can also be incredibly draining. For approximately 180 days out of the year, teachers wake at the crack of dawn, arrive early to their classrooms, stay on their feet for hours on end, spend their lunch “breaks” surrounded by students who regularly require assistance in one form or another, set speed records for personal restroom visits, take part in all manner of extra-curricular activities, and spend evenings, weekends, and “vacation” days catching up or trying to get ahead on classroom responsibilities so they can care for your children to the very best of their abilities. As teachers strive to balance such intense workloads, parents can provide a tremendous boost in morale through kind words or notes of appreciation. Teachers hear regularly from parents who are displeased with them, but rarely from those who may be happy with their efforts. Allow the Golden Rule to guide your parent-teacher interaction (Luke 6:31). For weary teachers, a little encouragement goes a long way. Bonus tip: Starbucks gift cards go even farther.  =)
  • Show your child how to honor authority through your example. So far, I’ve painted teachers in a pretty positive light, but I’m not naïve to the fact that there are some teachers who are simply in the wrong profession. If your child is under the care of such a teacher, and moving him to another class or school isn’t an option, then realize that God has given you the opportunity to illustrate the difference that the gospel makes in the lives of believers. In the unbelieving world, respect is routinely given only to those who deserve it. Christians, on the other hand, are called by God to show respect for a person’s position, whether or not his conduct is actually worthy of respect. Teach your child both in word and by your example that God wants him “to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:1-2). Equip a child to respond properly to unjust authority, and you will have taught him a valuable life skill.
My prayer is that teachers all over Barrie and the surrounding area would experience Christ’s love through their students and the students' parents throughout the coming year. How will you show Christ’s love to the teachers you get to interact with?

Click here to read all three parts of this blog.  
TueTuesdayAugAugust9th2011 Growth Points
Posted Tuesday, August 09 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
mo·not·o·nous/məˈnätn-əs/Adjective
1. Dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest.
2. (of a sound or utterance) Lacking in variation in tone or pitch.

When I was about 16 I had a dream that there was a hand writing on my wall (sound familiar?) – the hand wrote the word “monotonous” but at 16 I really hadn’t come across that word so I had to look it up the next morning. I quickly learned that the word meant “dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest” – I knew I didn’t want to be that word. I wasn’t living for the Lord at the time of this dream but almost 16 years later I still remember that dream…vividly. When I surrendered my life to the Lord at 19 the word took on a new application in my life – I didn’t want my walk with Christ to be dull, tedious or repetitious…I wanted to be growing, changing and vibrant for Christ – that desire hasn’t changed in 11 years.

Part of growing and being vibrant for Christ is being intentional in our growth. Small group has been a huge part of this for me – doing life with people who really know ME (and still love me!). They know the things I’m struggling with, the things that Christ has given me victory in, the things that motivate me and the things that discourage me. If you’re not in a small group – get in one!

One of the tools that we use in small groups is the Spiritual Growth Points - these focus on spiritual disciplines, character quality and relationships. The idea is that every 12 weeks a new discipline, character quality and relationship would be chosen to really be worked on – these would be the three things that people would hold you accountable for, check in with you about and encourage you in. When growth is seen in these areas, we move on to new areas. I suppose you don’t HAVE to be in a SG to use this tool but it really is an amazing blessing to have people around you helping you to keep focused and celebrating growth with you.

Check out this Spiritual Growth Points document and maybe start praying about the areas that God is asking you to work on in the next few weeks. So thankful for a church family to be growing with.
TueTuesdayAugAugust2nd2011 When People Are Big and God Is Small
Posted Tuesday, August 02 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
How often do you replace God with people? I do it more than I want to admit. The most prominent way I see this showing up in my life is when I’m hurt/mad/frustrated and I go to SOMEONE who is not God…first. I’m so thankful for the people God has put in my life who love me, care for me and will point me to Christ when I need them to…but I really do have a responsibility in my relationship with Christ to go to him first. It really comes down to me getting a response of sympathy, a hug, understanding words or sometimes a validation of my feelings that makes people seem more appealing to go to – lame excuse…I’ll just go ahead and call myself out.

While I appreciate words of affirmation and think that we should be affirming one another and building one another up I also think that each of us bears the responsibility in ensuring a couple things:

1. That God is the one getting the glory
2. That we aren’t looking to ‘man’ to find acceptance and self-worth

So easy to fall into people-pleasing and finding our identity in what ‘man’ has established as the benchmarks for a successful life. But what the world deems success is often almost the exact opposite of what Christ would deem success in our lives.

Edward Welch wrote the book “When People Are Big and God Is Small” - here’s an excerpt:

The sin resident in the human heart (the fear of man) wields awesome power. The praise of others--that wisp of a breeze that lasts for a moment--can seem more glorious to us than the praise of God. Jesus himself told the Jewish leaders, "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).

Today we would be nice and call the Pharisees people-pleasers. We would say they "struggled with peer pressure." Since all of us are affected by it at one time or another, we are almost sympathetic toward such behavior. But this is perhaps the most tragic form of the fear of man. Teenagers are constantly making unwise decisions because of it. Adults, too, look to people for their cues. We wait for others to take initiatives of love. We spend too much time wondering what others may have thought about our outfit or the comment we made in the small group meeting. We see opportunities to testify about Christ, but we avoid them. We are more concerned about looking stupid (a fear of people) than we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord).

Jesus stood in stark contrast to this Pharisaic concern. He did not show favoritism; instead, he reached out to male and female, rich and poor, and all races and ages. His teaching was not done by first taking a poll of what was popular; instead, he spoke truth that was often unpopular but could penetrate the heart. "I do not accept praise from men," he said. Even his opponents could see this.

"Teacher," they said, "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are." (Matt. 22:16)

May you KNOW today who you are in Christ and be only concerned with HIS praise of you.
TueTuesdayJulJuly26th2011 “You Can’t Un-Sin…only REPENT”
Posted Tuesday, July 26 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I was raised in a Christian family, went to a Christian school, went to Awana…there was no reason why I couldn’t have chosen Christ at a young age and made wiser choices that would have protected me from future hurt…but I didn’t. I was almost 20 when I fully surrendered my life to Christ…sadly there are choices from my past that I wish I could undo but…I can’t. In reality there are choices I made in the past couple days that I wish I could undo but…I can’t.

I talk to a lot of women who live in past regrets of choices made…it’s easy to continue to live in that place but I don’t believe that Christ would have us remain in that place. We need to be broken over our sin and see it as Christ sees it but once we’ve confessed it and are moving on from it we need not look back and remain in that place.

I mean, how appealing does the Christian life look to unbelievers if we continue to live in shame, regret, fear or whatever other negative emotion past dealt with sin conjures up? Living that way doesn’t really bring much glory to the one who died to SAVE us from those sins and offers us forgiveness.

Be blessed and encouraged as you check out this blog by Steven Furtick about repentance and moving forward:

Sometimes it can be very difficult to process your own sin. When we sin, there is usually an element of regret. Which is a good thing. If there was none, we should probably be worried about the condition of our hearts.

But usually we focus this regret on the desire to undo the past action. We wish we could go back and change what we’ve done.

But we can’t. It happened, and there’s no changing it. So we have to face an important truth if we don’t want to perpetually live in a state of regret and self-condemnation: You can’t un-sin. Only re-pent.

Those words you shouldn’t have said…were said.
That guy you shouldn’t have slept with…you slept with.
The compromise that you made at work…you made.

What’s done is done. You can’t un-sin. And while it might be good that you wish you could, ultimately there’s no going backwards.

But there is a way forward. And the way forward is the path of repentance. You can’t un-say what you said, but you can re-pent of what you said. You can’t un-sleep with that guy, but you can re-pent to God for doing it.

As far as the past goes, what happened, happened. But as far as your future goes, with God it could be as if it never happened. You can get a fresh understanding with God. A chance to not let your past mistakes affect your future possibilities.

Un-sinning has an orientation towards the past. Re-pentance, on the other hand, is about the future. It’s dealing with your past disobedience towards God so you can walk towards your future relationship with him. And that’s what he wants for you.

So if you’re dealing with the regrets and guilt of yesterday, or last month, or even ten years ago, don’t waste any more time playing the scenario over in your head and imagining doing it differently. It’s done.

Embrace the truth that God preempted your past faithlessness in your life with his past faithfulness on the cross. Re-pent of what you’ve done. And move on towards the future God has for you.

~ Steven Furtick blog
WedWednesdayJulJuly13th2011 God’s Best for Us
Posted Wednesday, July 13 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I appreciate a good plan. I really appreciate being the one to come up with a plan and carry it out. I don’t appreciate when plans don’t go quite the way that I think they should. Lindsay McCaul has a line that I love in her song The Door that says, “I thought for a while you’d come to my senses and see…” There have been many times when I have fought with God because I believed that my silly little human plan was better than the one that he apparently had for me. I have no reason to doubt the faithfulness of God in my life or that his plans are good (the best, really) and will far surpass my own – so I’m learning to wrestle less.

Romans 8.28 is a verse we hear often - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This is a fantastic verse, a verse I believe with my whole heart but sometimes when we just throw it out there at someone who is in the midst of a tough time or when that verse is quoted at us in the midst of grieving the demise of a plan when we can’t see God’s best right ahead of us it can come across as flippant. A friend shared with me a great blog that explains this verse well and was an encouragement to me so I wanted to pass it along. Check out Suffering's Sweet Result.

I’m convinced the ultimate good is most definitely the best for me.
TueTuesdayJunJune21st2011 Celebrating Harvest Volunteers
Posted Tuesday, June 21 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
Christ has done and continues to do an exciting work in and through Harvest Barrie. This past Friday evening 160+ faithful servants gathered at Fendley Hall for an evening of celebrating our phenomenal team of volunteers who serve Christ so faithfully each week at Harvest Barrie.

Over 275 adult volunteers are regularly serving Christ in some ministry area – holding babies, teaching three and four year olds, leading in worship, setting up chairs and running wires at 6 a.m., mentoring youth, leading a small group, discipling children at Awana, counting the offering, setting up for baptisms, rolling cabinets back into the cabinet room at the end of a Sunday, being a welcoming smile as someone enters the worship centre for the first time, parking cars, prepping for communion…the list goes on and on…each person playing an integral role in the work that God is doing at Harvest. I think that is something DEFINITELY worth celebrating!

And celebrate we did! Jameson Evenden from Harvest Brampton brought a band and led us in a sweet time of worship followed by Paul Whittingstall who brought the Word and reminded us that what we do now counts…for eternity. We fellowshipped, ate amazing desserts and rejoiced in the work that Christ has called us to be a part of.

We want to share with you a glimpse into the different ways that people serve each week so that you can celebrate with us so check out this video.



If you don’t already have a place that you’re serving but want to be a part of this thing we would love for you to join the team. Give me a call, , or stop by Connections on a Sunday morning to pick up a ‘Work for Christ’ booklet that will outline all the different serving positions available to you!

Harvest loves our volunteers and plans on celebrating again next year. We're looking at dates in May and June 2012 so keep your calendars handy.



More photos here.
TueTuesdayJunJune14th2011 Ebenezer
Posted Tuesday, June 14 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 5 comments Add comment
Nope, this isn’t a blog about Ebenezer Scrooge! :-)

A few years ago I was at a friend’s home and saw a vase sitting in a prominent place in their home that had some rocks in it. When I asked her about it she explained that it was an Ebenezer. On the rocks were written significant dates and events to her family.

I loved this idea and began to research it more:

1 Samuel 7:12 - Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the LORD has helped us."

The word "Ebenezer" comes from Hebrew and is actually two words pronounced together: Even Haazer. It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the definite article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for "help" (Ezer) and putting it together with the Hebrew word for "stone" (Even) to create: "Ebenezer." The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should demonstrate that an "Ebenezer" is, literally, a "Stone of Help." (http://www.revneal.org/Writings/whatsan.htm)

We’ve talked a lot in the last week or so about how the church has honoured and affirmed Todd and Cheryl but we thought it would be cool for you to hear that the staff did something for them as well. We gave them an Ebenezer – a vase of stones with significant dates and events from the past ten years at Harvest Barrie. It includes our different themes for each year, staff start dates, funny moments, different ministries starting in the church, growth points – it was so encouraging to find these dates, write them out and remember them together as a staff. We’re looking forward to watching this Ebenezer fill up over the years to come as God continues to bless the ministry of Todd and Cheryl and Harvest Barrie.

With this great weather maybe you want to take some time to go searching for some smooth rocks to write on and start your own Ebenezer that you can look at and remember how the Lord has helped you and been faithful to you. If you take this on as a summer project I’d love to hear about it and see pictures.  It could be a really cool conversation starter with unsaved friends and family that you have in your home – a really great opportunity to share a bit about the Lord and his help in your life.
TueTuesdayJunJune7th2011 The EVENT of Christ’s Return
Posted Tuesday, June 07 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
On May 21, I read this FaceBook status belonging to one of the Harvest young adults:
So it would appear that the world did not end...not sure how to feel about that...expected...but...disappointed...
I LOVE this. This young woman GETS how exciting it will be when Christ returns for us.

Some days I’m not sure I really get how awesome Christ’s return will be. I don’t wake up every morning saying to Christ, “How about today?”…I don’t even wake up wondering if today will be the day most days. I get caught up in life – MY plans, MY calendar, MY dreams, MY…MY…MY...not good. The last few months (not just because of all the billboards and talk of May 21!) I’ve been pretty convicted about the event of Christ’s return and not anticipating that event as much as I need to be…not even close.

I have friends raising teenagers, friends fighting serious illnesses, friends being persecuted by their families because of their faith…these people LONG for Christ’s return because they KNOW that heaven is no comparison to life here on earth. My prayer is to LONG for Christ’s return and have my sense of urgency for the lost be increased.

Kathryn Scott has a great song called Heaven Is Our Home – that really refocuses my thinking:

No more sin and no more shame
We are going where the streets are made of gold
No more tears for they'll be wiped away
We are going where the streets are made of gold

And if we just could see
One glimpse of what will be
We'd run to win this race
Living our lives by faith

Because heaven is our home where we'll reign forever
Shining like the sun with our King forever
Every sorrow gone we'll rejoice forever
Heaven is our home heaven is our home

No more death for it's been overcome
We are going where the streets are made of gold
Where O grave is your victory song
We are going where the streets are made of gold

1 Thessalonians 4.13-18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
TueTuesdayMayMay31st2011 God is great...God is good...
Posted Tuesday, May 31 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
As a child we always prayed the same prayer before we ate – “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. By his hands we are fed, give us Lord our daily bread.” …and then we’d proceed to pray for other things…including all the animals at Springwater Park – funny the things you remember.

Over the years my prayer life has grown and matured…you have to start somewhere right!?! I’m thankful for growth in this discipline and am encouraged by it, but the reality is – I will never be able to say that my prayer life is ‘good enough.’

As a staff we’ve been reading Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson – AMAZING book that really has begun to transform my prayer life. I’m learning all over again what prayer needs to look like in my life…I’m challenged and encouraged.

One of the big things I’ve been fairly convicted about is my "grocery list" of needs that I bring to God…I’m wrapping my head around knowing that it is okay for me to ask God for things but that those things really need to be in accordance with his will and ultimately for his glory.

I recently found a great resource from John Piper…an article about what we should pray for based on the example of the early church in the New Testament. I’ve printed it off and stuck a copy in my prayer journal…Piper suggests the article be used periodically just to ensure that we’re not leaving anything out and that our prayers are (eventually!) the same breadth and depth as prayers from the New Testament.

As a church we believe firmly in the power of prayer (Ephesians 6:18)…but my guess is that most of us feel like we could use some growth in this area. I’m looking forward to growing with you and really becoming a church that full out believes that “without prayer nothing else matters.”

John Piper - What Should We Pray For?
TueTuesdayMayMay24th2011 Conviction vs. Condemnation
Posted Tuesday, May 24 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
God LOVES you…do you KNOW that? He wants you to know that and believe that. God has a plan for you, he is growing you, shaping you, rubbing off rough edges. We have sin in our lives - some of it is deeply rooted and painful to deal with - needing to be cut off and done with. God wants us to be growing in holiness and becoming more like him. His heart is for us to be saved and to be free of sin and shame.

For me one of the most amazing things about God is that he isn’t done with me yet. Despite the times I sin, am unfaithful to him, have walked away…he LOVES me and desires more for me than I could even begin to imagine.

At the Harvest women’s retreat back in April, Beth Anne talked about the difference between conviction and condemnation. The more I talk with people, hear their stories and their struggles I’m learning that I’m not the only one who hears and feels the devil’s condemnation. I want to be really clear about what the difference is between conviction and condemnation in hopes that even one person reading this will be encouraged and reminded of how loving our God is.

Satan hates you. He has come to steal, kill and destroy (John 10.10) – that’s what he’s about. He will do everything he can to take you down and distract you from the mission Christ has put you on. He will tell you that he knows the sins of your past, that you’re a loser and a failure, that you aren’t worthy to do the work entrusted to you. Satan will show you what the problem is (or was) but he’s not going to show you a solution. Satan CONDEMNS.

Christ, on the other hand, has come to SAVE (John 12.47) and there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8.1). When Christ convicts us and shows us a problem area, a sin in our life, he calls us back to himself and offers us forgiveness when we confess our sins (1 John 1.9). Christ shows us that he wants more for us because he loves us and desires a relationship with us – he offers hope and a solution.

Let’s admit it – our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17.9)…we NEED to ask Christ to reveal sin in our lives if we want to grow in holiness. When Christ is convicting you he will remind you that his blood will cover your sins, that you can be forgiven, that this sin can be removed and no longer have a grip on you because HE is bigger than your sin. But if you hear “you’ll never have victory over this, why even try, you aren’t worthy” – that is condemnation and you need to tell Satan that your Redeemer LIVES.

Isaiah 30.18 - Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
TueTuesdayMayMay17th2011 State of Readiness
Posted Tuesday, May 17 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
A few weeks ago a couple of family members were waiting for test results…I was feeling slightly anxious and just really aware that one blood test or MRI could change life as we know it.

My family isn’t perfect…not everyone in my family is living for the Lord despite knowing the truth. For a few months I’ve been praying that the Lord would increase my faith and also do whatever it takes to bring certain members of my family into relationship with him. I am well-aware of how scary these prayers are and can’t even let my mind begin to imagine what I’m essentially asking God to do. But here’s the thing – I don’t want to be mediocre for Christ. I’m not saying that I want to go through brutal times just for the sake of being a martyr but I am saying that I want God to move in my life and in the lives of those I love.

I don’t know what tomorrow, or next week or next year looks like but here’s something I do know:

I want to live in a state of readiness to glorify God.

When hard times come, and I know they will…I want to be ready. I want my actions, words, thoughts…my whole being to be able to respond to the God of the universe in a way that glorifies him and points those watching me to my Saviour.

We’ve heard Pastor Todd talk about being ready to say “blessed be the name of the Lord” at all times…and how we need to be ready ourselves to say that when we can barely utter a word.

Despite how the events of the next hour, day, week unfold for you – are you living in a state of readiness to glorify God?

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonions 1:11-12
WedWednesdayMayMay11th2011 Harvest University - Wednesday
Posted Wednesday, May 11 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
As much as I always look forward to my time at Harvest U - the worship, the teaching, the workshops, the team fellowship...AND the shopping, casual hangout time and yummy food (just being honest)...I don't ever really look forward to the drive.  Ten to twelve hours in  a van is a bit of a stretch for me.  However, this year was SO fun - we laughed until some (mainly me) of us couldn't breathe, we sang worship songs together, we heard about a dad leading his daughter to the Lord...it was a FUN drive!!  And no transport trucks ran me off the road!!

Then there's the time at the actual conference - amazing.  There's just something so special about sitting amidst 1500 people who are leaders in their various churches and love the Lord full out as they pour out their lives for the cause of Christ.  To hear voices raised in worship to the one we love and hear about what God is doing in the various churches - it is impossible to not be fired up about what the Lord has entrusted to us.

I BELIEVE in the vision of HBC that God has given to us and am humbled that Christ would call me to be a part of what he's doing in Harvest Barrie.  I'm excited by the different ideas I've been hearing about and can't wait to get back and start prayerfully considering what the Lord has for me in ministry at HBC Barrie.

I'm thankful for the team that has traveled here from Barrie - they are very "average" people but they love the Lord, want more of him and want to serve him with excellence - I love that I am blessed by that!  My heart has been encouraged through worship, the Word, casual conversations and praying with the team...so blessed.

And now I'm also looking forward to a trip to Target tonight :-)

Amy

Roving Reporters

From the Children's Ministry track:

Wow!  That pretty much sums up my experience at Harvest University.  It was amazing hanging out in Children’s Ministry on Sunday morning – oh, how I loved the electronic scanning sign in procedure.  What a powerful message from Pastor James to kick off Harvest U. So blessed by the passion that was shared during our ministry tracks.  So wonderful to hang out with our extended Harvest family….can’t wait until next year!!



TueTuesdayAprApril26th2011 Harvest Loves VOLUNTEERS!
Posted Tuesday, April 26 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Last August I wrote a blog about appreciating one another. In that blog I mentioned the volunteer appreciation event that happened last June:
“Overwhelmed…in a very good way - that’s how I felt as we prepped for the volunteer appreciation event in June. As I wrote out all the names of people who serve in Higher Ground, Awana and camp and later read over the master list that included the people who serve in all the MANY different areas of Harvest Bible Chapel I was completely overwhelmed with thankfulness to the Lord for the teams that he has provided and grown. I was also overwhelmed with love and gratitude for all those who serve so faithfully in their various ministry areas.”
Now, eight months later, we’ve started working on this year’s list for the volunteer appreciation event…and I am still very much overwhelmed as I look at the hundreds of names of those who serve so faithfully in the many different areas of ministry that make up Harvest Bible Chapel.

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

We are so thankful for the army of volunteers at Harvest Barrie who partner with us to serve for the cause of Christ in this local body of believers…even when it’s hard work and the pressures of life are weighing in – YOU have continued to do GOOD WORKS and the fruit is evident.

On Friday, June 17 we will be gathering all of our *slaves for Christ* together again for an evening of celebrating what the Lord has done in and through the various ministries at Harvest Barrie this year. It will be a fun night of dressing up, eating yummy desserts, worshiping together with Jameson Evenden from Harvest Brampton and hearing a word from the Lord brought by Paul Whittingstall from Harvest York Region.

Volunteers, be sure to check your mailboxes in the next couple of weeks for your invitation. We will need to know by June 1 if you are able to join us so that we can plan accordingly for numbers. We are excited to spend this evening celebrating with you the greatness of our God.

Harvest Loves our AMAZING Volunteers!
ThuThursdayAprApril14th2011 A Glimpse into Grief
Posted Thursday, April 14 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
I’ve grieved different things in my life…those have been hard, dark times…but also times marked by glimpses of hope and the assurance of a faithful God who loves me more deeply than I could imagine. We’ve probably all experienced personal grief at different times in our life and probably each of us has at least one person in our life who is working through grief.

Grief can be a tricky thing to walk through with someone – we don’t know how to respond to their emotions or what to say/do for them.

I wanted to share with you a glimpse into grief that I had a few weeks ago as I read something written by the wife of one of my previous pastors. Lisa writes very honestly about where she’s at now, almost two years after losing their oldest son to cancer at the age of 19:
“I do feel, however that in the past couple of weeks something has slowly begun to awaken inside of me. Although I still take up residency in the back pew at church, I’m not darting through the church foyer to get there. I am not experiencing, as frequently, the panic attacks that came upon me every time I entered a crowd of any kind. I am taking more initiative to engage in conversation. I am not so easily overwhelmed by noise and activity and people’s advances as I was even a month ago. Although my social reserve tank is still extremely low, at least I’m taking on a more offensive than defensive approach in social gatherings (hopefully not too offensive – lol). I’m not quite as forgetful as I have been. It still feels a little foreign but I’m beginning to look ahead and plan a few things. I even got my hair cut in a new-me style! Am I having fun in life yet? I wouldn’t go quite that far, but at least I’m becoming a little more open to the concept. Waiting with great anticipation to joining Ben’s eternal party in heaven where I’ll experience fun like I’ve never known!”
I find myself interacting regularly with people who are grieving different things…working at a church I suppose it should be expected. I was 23 when I started at Harvest…the Lord has grown me greatly in seven and a half years. I’ve learned that people need a few things from me as I walk beside them in their grief:

  1. They need me to listen…really listen and care about what they’re sharing.
  2. They need me to pray…commit to praying and follow that through. They also need me to pray that before I open my mouth to speak I will ask for God’s wisdom, love and words. 
  3. They need encouragement…when I see growth or a success in something I need to tell them that I see the Lord working in their life.
  4. They need me to speak truth…when the time is right and the Lord is prompting me I need to be obedient and love them enough to say the hard thing sometimes. And sometimes they need me to just be quiet and listen to them. 
  5. They need me to speak with hope and anticipation about the future…when the time is right.
We serve a God who is bigger than our grief…and bigger than the awkwardness of walking through someone else’s grief with them. We just need to be obedient in sharing Christ’s love to those who are hurting and grieving – HE is faithful to do the rest.

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Psalm 33:20-22
TueTuesdayAprApril5th2011 Confession
Posted Tuesday, April 05 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
What begins in sorrow and ends in joy? Check out the title of this blog for the answer.

When we get serious about sin in our lives there always has to be confession. Sometimes it’s between me and the Lord…other times I need some earthly accountability and I’ve got to bring some people that love me and desire God’s best for me into the loop. Lately I’ve really been working on my words – doing my best to ensure that my words are building up and not tearing down and that I’m bringing glory to God. I’m encouraged to see growth but I also have moments of failure so I’m thankful for those people in my life who hold me accountable. Recently I was into a rant about something and Amber loudly said, “WORDS! WORDS!”  It made us both giggle but it stopped me before I got carried away and I carefully weighed how I would communicate my thoughts and feelings about what we were discussing.

This year I’ve been doing a book study with a group of women and one of the books that we’ve been reading is “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster. Each time we meet, one of the women shares what she’s read in one of the chapters. A few weeks ago we talked about the spiritual discipline of confession…and then we had that sweet response time a few Sundays ago (LOVE God’s timing!). In his book, Foster talks about three parts of confession that are necessary:

1.    “An examination of conscience” – asking God to show us the areas in our lives where we need to do business with him.
2.    “Sorrow” – being grieved over our sin, seeing it as God sees it.
3.    “A determination to avoid sin” – confession – to God and maybe a trusted friend in order to put some accountability in place.

Confession is hard…it takes humility and a real desire to be done with the sin but the freedom that comes brings much joy and sweetness.

I recently heard about a small group leader in our church who asked one of the members of her group, "What's so special about your sin?" – good question. We all have sin – we’re human…all sin is equally against God…if we really believe that the ground is level at the foot of the cross then why do we cringe when we hear the word confession? Shame isn’t a good place to stay in…Christ died for us so that we can be free of shame. We need to take our shame, our burdens and our sin to the foot of the cross and leave it there in confession and repentance. And maybe, just maybe, we need to spend some time praying about who we need to be accountable to here on earth.
TueTuesdayMarMarch29th2011 Your Hands
Posted Tuesday, March 29 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
I’ve never observed Lent before, this year I’m not sure I’d say I’m observing it as much as I’m aware of it and have made certain commitments surrounding it to focus me on the cross and my relationship with Christ, so far it’s been really productive and meaningful for me. One of the things I’ve included in my commitments is to read through the gospels leading up to Easter to really prepare my heart and meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my sins.

Reading through Matthew I came across this familiar passage in Matthew 10:
Have No Fear
26"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
I think it struck me more this time reading it because of a song that’s been in pretty regular rotation in my iTunes – check it out.


Your Hands
By J.J. Heller

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn’t there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
O Lord, before these feet of mine
O Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

Life is hard. So thankful I serve a God who is bigger than anything I’m going to come up against and a God who holds me in his hands.  Be encouraged today that God has you in his hands, that he loves and cares about you and that one day he will set all things right. And in the meantime, press on – speak boldly for the glory of God and love with the radical love of Christ.
TueTuesdayMarMarch22nd2011 Cracked and Broken
Posted Tuesday, March 22 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
“Hope waits but does not sit. It strains with eager anticipation to see what may be coming on the horizon. Hope does not pacify; it does not make us docile and mediocre. Instead, it draws us to greater risk and perseverance.” – Dan Allender

Life is hard…sometimes it even sucks…but we have a hope that comes from Jesus Christ. I have a number of friends in my life who have walked in deep valleys over the last year or so…these women love the Lord and worked hard to keep him as their strength and foundation – they will never know the example of faith that they have been to me. Their willingness to be honest about the cracks and broken pieces that make up who they are is amazing. I’ve pretty much decided that I never want to be a perfect marble statue with smooth, cool surfaces…I want to be a hodge podge statue that has cracks and holes…hopefully most filled by the putty of God’s grace in my life.

I read “Choosing to See” by Mary Beth Chapman recently – amazing. She is so real and genuine as she shares her struggles and her victories. Her story points to Christ in amazing ways.  My favorite thing she said was:

“But God made me the way He did and gave me the story we’re living. And even though I am not your usual candidate for celebrity wifedom, I believe it is all about showing off His glory…People need to know that Christian leaders, singers, preachers, writers, whoever, are as cracked and broken as the next person. Maybe more so. Hopefully they are in positions of leadership, though, because they are serious about following Christ, and so people can see that real success in the kingdom of God is not about being strong and looking good, and knowing all the right answers. It’s about continually yielding oneself to Jesus and determining to take purposeful steps of obedience, and the ragged reality that it’s all about God and His grace at work within us.”

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12.9-10

....HIS power is made perfect in MY weakness – I LOVE that…I REST in that. I’m cracked and broken but my hope is in the Lord and he is slowly putting me back together as I press into him and seek to live in obedience to him.

My brokenness allows me to bring greater glory to God…I’m cool with that.

Amy
WedWednesdayMarMarch16th2011 Talking with God…over a cup of coffee
Posted Wednesday, March 16 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
I love Roll Up the Rim season at Timmies…it really is fantastic and I’m doing pretty well this year. When we were at Awana for the Party with the Pastors, Todd was talking to the kids about prayer and was saying that talking to God is just like talking to a friend over coffee. I love my morning coffees with the Lord as I open his Word and talk to him.

Prayer can be a tricky discipline – for me it takes a lot of focus. For the last few months I’ve gone back to journaling my prayers. Some days they’re full sentences…other days they’re mainly point form. I have prayer journals that are color-coded as I’ve gone back and noted how God has answered specific prayers in my life – I LOVE looking back in those journals and being reminded in a very personal way of God’s faithfulness to me and those I love.

One of the girls in my small group has talked for quite a while about the idea of shower prayer cards – a stack of index cards with different prayers/prayer requests written out in a Ziploc bag that hangs on a suction cup in the shower so that each day she can flip the card and pray for the things on that card. She got her shower cards for her birthday in February.

For kids a really cool way to teach them to pray is using the Five Finger Prayer:

  • First, I want you to put your hands together in front of you as if you are praying.  Keep your eyes open so that you can see your hands.  You will notice that the closest finger to you is the thumb.  Since it is the closest to you, the thumb reminds you to pray for those that are closest to you.  Pray for your parents and your brothers or sisters.
  • The next finger is called your index finger.  It is used for pointing.  Let this finger remind you to pray for those that point you in the right direction.  Pray for your teachers at school, your Higher Ground teacher, and your pastor.
  • The next finger is the tallest finger.  This finger reminds us to pray for our leaders.  Pray for the prime minister and other leaders in our government and those who are leaders in our city.
  • The fourth finger is called the ring finger.  Did you know that this is the weakest of all the fingers?  Let this finger remind you to pray for those who are sick.
  • The next finger is the smallest finger.  The Bible says, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought."  Let the little finger remind you to pray for yourself.

C.S. Lewis said, “What seem our worst prayers may really be, in God's eyes, our best. Those, I mean, which are least supported by devotional feeling. For these may come from a deeper level than feeling. God sometimes seems to speak to us most intimately when he catches us, as it were, off our guard.”

I think we can often learn a lot listening to children or new believers pray…they often challenge and encourage me in my prayer life.

I’d love to hear from some of you – what tools do you use in your prayer life?

Amy
TueTuesdayFebFebruary22nd2011 Celebrate!
Posted Tuesday, February 22 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 3 comments Add comment
My mom has always been fantastic at celebrating.  Growing up we celebrated a lot of things – there was the usual birthdays, anniversaries and other holidays but we also celebrated good marks in school, the completion of an Awana book, a Kiwanis music festival success, learning to ride a two wheel bike, a new tooth…and sometimes we just celebrated a person because of who God made them to be. Celebrations were always different but a staple growing up was the red, *You are Special* plate at dinner time. It was such a delight to come home from school and see whose place the red plate was set at. Our family loved celebrating one another. Celebrations have changed as we’ve grown older but we still love to get together and celebrate. My mom still does a fantastic job of celebrating us through cards, phone calls, emails, little gifts…she’s so wonderful!

I won’t lie – I loved being the one who was being celebrated (OK, I still love that – March is my birthday *month* <winks!>)…but I also love celebrating others without needing a specific occasion.  A bunch of the women in my small group recently spent time together celebrating new beginnings in one woman’s life…we talked about how faithful God has been through her trial, how she’s grown and glorified God and we talked about what was to come with great joy.  I know of a family in our church who has *Super Saturdays* in their house to celebrate weekly spiritual growth in their kids – how great is that!?! As our church is talking about joy I’ve started to think more about joy and celebration…how they go together.

The thing is – as believers we have SO much to be thankful for and to celebrate. Psalm 118:24 tells us that “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I don’t rejoice in my days enough…it’s easy for me to get caught up in the hard things of life and the sin areas in my life that I need to be working on. I was recently talking with some friends about balancing being aware that I’m a sinner with celebrating the work of Christ in my life and that he’s not done with me yet.  We NEED to be aware of our need of a Saviour but we also NEED to rejoice and celebrate his goodness, love and blessing in our lives.

I’d love to hear about some of the things that YOU celebrate and *how* you celebrate.
ThuThursdayFebFebruary10th2011 Set Apart
Posted Thursday, February 10 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
I recently found myself in a situation that was far out of my comfort zone. I think I’m pretty typical in that, like most people, I prefer to just ‘blend in’ when it comes to most situations. Where I found myself a few weeks ago was no different – I just wanted to ‘blend in.’

But there came a point in the day where I felt like I was in some really bad reality show – things going on around me were going from out of my comfort zone to twilight zone.

As heads turned to look at the dramatic situation I found myself in, it was like slow motion and I remember thinking, “I just want to be normal!!!!!!!!”

But the reality was that I was one of three people that were my definition of normal and to the other 80+ people WE were the different ones…and really, that was OK.  We needed to show Christ to these people, to be different, set apart for Christ in the midst of a lot of hurt and brokenness.

I’ve thought back on that day a few times now…I live in Barrie, I’m not a visible minority in most situations I find myself in. That was true for a couple of years when I was studying Aboriginal Community and Social Development – I was the only non-Native and the only Christian in my entire program…it was a really great (and really hard!) experience for me. The events of a few weeks ago reminded me about my college days being the ‘weird one’…set apart.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. I needed to be reminded that I shouldn’t always be striving to ‘blend in’…rather, I need to be stretched out of my comfort zone and checking to make sure that I am set apart – not conformed to this world and what seems ‘normal’ to our society.

If I’m accurately representing Christ my life NEEDS to look a little (or sometimes A LOT) different – and that’s a good thing. So thankful for the Lord’s gentle reminders in my life to keep changing and growing…even when it’s stretching.

Hope you find yourself ‘set apart’ today.
ThuThursdayJanJanuary27th2011 Prepping for Worship
Posted Thursday, January 27 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
If I’m being honest I know that there are some Sunday mornings when I show up for church and as I make my way into the worship center my heart is far from being ready to worship my God. I don’t like those mornings and often get more frustrated as I get in, get settled and realize how distracted/not ready I am – it’s just not a good scene.

A recent small group question was: “How can I best prepare for worshiping as the body?” It was the question that struck me the most that week.  I’ve spent some time praying and thinking about this, and have tried to set up some practical checkpoints for myself throughout the week.

Here’s a peek into my brain (beware!) at what I’ve come up with:

1.     Review – I need to take some time Sunday afternoon or Monday to review my notes from Sunday morning, look up any passages that were mentioned and then look over the small group curriculum (it’s available on the website – who knew!?!).
2.     I need to get to my small group and spend time with other believers in fellowship, worship, prayer, discussion and accountability.
3.     I need to ensure that I’m making it a priority to spend daily time in the Word and talking with God. I need to confess my sins daily to the Lord, keep really short accounts and recognize my dependence on him.
4.    I can check out the list of songs we’ll be singing on the upcoming Sunday…maybe put them on a playlist.
5.     I should read the Friday blog that talks about what the message will be on Sunday and read the scripture that we’ll be studying.
6.    I should pray through Weekend Warriors throughout the weekend. I think it would be a great idea to use my drive time on Sunday morning to just quiet my heart and pray for the different ministries that make up Sunday mornings at Harvest Bible Chapel.
7.     I need to make getting into service on time a real priority. There are always people I could chat with or another task I could do quickly…but very rarely is this more important than getting myself (and that other person I’m talking to!) into service ready to worship the Creator of the universe.
8.    Finally, I need to not allow myself to be distracted. I just need to focus on the songs we’re singing, the prayers we pray, the Scriptures being read and the message being delivered.

God calls for and deserves a heart that is fully engaged and prepared to worship him with everything in me.

1 Chronicles 16.29
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness…
Let’s get our hearts ready to worship our Lord in the splendor of holiness this weekend.
WedWednesdayJanJanuary26th2011 Missing Piece
Posted Wednesday, January 26 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 1 comments Add comment
I don’t really like puzzles…they take too long. However, I know some people really enjoy doing puzzles and secretly I admire those people – doing a puzzle takes commitment! I was recently visiting a friend who had been working on a 550 piece ‘Where’s Waldo’ puzzle – she got all the way to end and realized she was missing just one little piece…I saw the puzzle – it wasn’t quite as exciting to look at with that one missing piece that showed the table underneath.

That little missing piece got me thinking about some people that I love dearly who I think are missing just one piece of the puzzle. These are good, moral people…they love and serve others, they’re generous with their time and money, some even come to church, they sing the worship songs and take sermon notes…most of these people even believe in God. But I have no reason to believe that these people in my life have had that initial moment of brokenness where they’ve realized their sin and recognized their need for a Saviour.

Isaiah 43:11 says “I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.”

It wouldn’t be earth-shattering change for these people to turn their lives over to Christ and live full out for him but for some reason there just hasn’t been the connect from their heads to their hearts when they realize that they need to make an intentional decision to see their sin, recognize their need for a Saviour, confess their sins to Christ and commit to a personal relationship with him – there HAS to be that moment in a person’s life where they consciously decide to choose Christ – the missing piece.

If we’re being honest I think we all have nights when we crawl into bed and as we think back on our day we realize that there were moments (sometimes even hours) when we were far from dependent on Christ and relying a whole lot more on ourselves…I don’t know about you but I don’t find that that ever works out too well for me.  I KNOW my need for a Saviour but I fall into forgetting that as I get caught up in thinking that I’ve got things under control…

My moment happened at the end of January in 2000 in Waterloo sitting at my desk doing homework. I have no idea what triggered it other than the Holy Spirit but I was so struck with how far I had walked away from Christ and how desperately I needed him in my life that I was brought to my knees – broken over my sin and incredibly thankful for God’s grace in my life. Yet even though I know that was my moment I daily need to surrender control of my life to Christ lest I let too many minutes, hours, days, weeks or even years pass me by as I take that control and dependency back…I know I’m not above that…no one is.

Some things we can purpose to do to ensure we’re not missing a piece of the puzzle:
1.  Commit to daily time in the Word.
2.  Commit to daily times of prayer and acknowledge your dependence on Christ and need for a Saviour.
3.  Evaluate your days – in what areas are you still depending on yourself?
4. Make a plan – when you recognize areas of your life that you’re still holding onto, make a plan to remind you to live in dependence on Christ…get some accountability in place.
5.  Live it out.

Working on these five things, among others, will go far toward keeping us in a place of dependency on Christ - the LORD, our Saviour.
WedWednesdayJanJanuary19th2011 Survey Says…
Posted Wednesday, January 19 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
There aren’t many TV game shows that I really enjoy but I do enjoy Family Feud – watching it, playing it online, playing it on my phone…I find it entertaining.

Back in the summer I was playing quite a bit and the thought struck me – if people in my life were surveyed and asked how they would best describe me what would the top answers be? As this thought started to roll around in my head I came across 1 Peter 2:9:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

I have been called out of darkness and into the wonderful, saving light of Jesus Christ – does my life reflect that I am chosen and set apart?

I’d like to hope that people would choose positive words to describe me – nice, friendly, organized, hard-working, positive…those are all affirming words that I would like to think make up part of who I am. But as someone striving to live set apart for Christ there are a lot of other words that I should be striving for – godly, disciplined, bold for Christ, passionate for the cause of Christ, striving for holiness, sacrificial, a servant, humble, honest…if my life isn’t reflecting a deep love for Christ and his church, his saving grace in my life and ongoing work in my heart, a sense of urgency to share Christ with others…then ‘nice’ doesn’t really cut it, does it?

If people think I’m a good person – swell. But if they don’t see Christ in my life then something is seriously wrong.  I don’t want to be remembered as a person who could organize well…I want to be remembered as a woman who loved God with all she had.

There are days when I would NOT want people surveyed…and other days when it would seem less painful. I need to work at being more consistent…my life should reflect Christ and bring glory to him every moment of every day.

So…something to think about today – what words would people use to describe you? And what do you need to work on, change or grow in so that the words people would use would reflect Christ in your life?
TueTuesdayJanJanuary4th2011 Loving More…Loving Better
Posted Tuesday, January 04 2011 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
January is all about resolutions for some people…I’m not totally on that program. I see the value…I just don’t think it has a place in my life, this year…who knows about next year. For 2010, one of the things I really wanted to do was work on loving people more and loving them better. It was exciting to learn our theme for the year was going to be Harvest Loves: ____________. I can see growth in this area of my life as I look back on 2010, but I’m going to spend 2011 focusing on this again.

Some questions I’ve been asking myself:
1. Who in my life is hard to love that I just really need to allow Christ to love through me?
2. Who do I need to show more love to? Is it through my words, my time, my money, or by serving them practically?
3. Who will the Lord put in front of me that I have a split second to decide if and how I will love this person? How will I prepare myself for this?
4. Do my words reflect a heart that loves God and the people he has surrounded me with?
5. Does my response to people and situations demonstrate love?
6. Am I a good representation of Christ’s love?
I’ve spent some time working through 1 Corinthians 13 again and doing a self evaluation:

1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

I don’t want to be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal…I don’t want to be a nothing in God’s eyes or gain nothing for his kingdom. I want to be used by him to impact people for Christ, encourage them in their walks, offer hope through life in Christ…so I need to make sure that I’m loving others more and better…

Love takes time, work and effort…it’s not always easy. But as a Christ-follower I don’t really see that it’s possible for me to avoid working on this area of my life.  It is a little exciting to wonder who the Lord will place in my life this year that he will love through me…or who will love me with Christ’s love?
WedWednesdayDecDecember15th2010 Glory to God in the Highest
Posted Wednesday, December 15 2010 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Christmas 0 comments Add comment
I’ve known the Christmas story for what seems like forever. Over the years the details of this "story" were filled in and it became more than just a nice story but a biblical and historical account of great sacrifice and miracles that impact my life personally in an incredible way. And yet, as is the case with almost anything that I hear/see/watch more than once or twice…I forget the impact that it once had in my life and it can easily become a nice, familiar story again.

Maybe this is just me (although I sure hope not!).  We live in a very commercialized Christmas environment…it seems easy to fall into the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, Christmas traditions, Christmas baking, Christmas parties, Christmas decorating…and lose focus of what we’re really supposed to be celebrating and focusing on.

I find that I need to be intentional about keeping my focus and my priorities…I don’t WANT to be in a place where I’ve spent all of December caught up in the whirlwind of festivities and then show up to church for the Christmas service and simply hear a nice, Christmas story. The Saviour of the world, MY Saviour, deserves a whole lot more than that.

In order to keep my heart focused on the birth of Jesus Christ I try to find ways that keep the story real and alive…last Christmas there was a song that just made everything come alive as I spent time listening to the words, I wanted to share it with you. Here are the words so that you can really focus on them:

Glory to God in the Highest
Downhere
On hillsides of moonlight and shooting stars,
Shepherds keep the late watch on a crisp blue night.
Suddenly the darkness, breaks with full day light,
With hosts of heaven’s angels filling the sky.

"Glory to God, in the highest! now here in Bethlehem.
Glory to God in the highest! the Child who will save all men!"

Rushing to the city, sandal slipping cobblestone,
Find they in the great story, for centuries we've now known.
Pouring out with wonder, the shepherds step outside,
and lift worn hands to heaven singing aloud...

"Glory to God, in the highest! now here in Bethlehem.
Glory to God in the highest! the Child who will save all men!"

Now until He returns, remember this time;
When least of men were given the greatest of light,
That God chose not to glory in wealth, power, fame..
but with the simple and the small he came.

"Glory to God, in the highest! now here in Bethlehem.
Glory to God in the highest! the Child who will save all men!"


How do you keep the Christmas Story from being more than just a nice, familiar story?
WedWednesdayDecDecember8th2010 It's the most wonderful time of the year
Posted Wednesday, December 08 2010 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Christmas 0 comments Add comment
…according to Andy Williams who wrote the song…that doesn’t mention the REAL reason for Christmas…but this blog isn’t even going to START on that rant <winks!>.

I do love the Christmas season though…for so many reasons:

1. Christmas Music – this comes out pretty early in November in my world. Best Christmas album ever – Amy Grant – Home for Christmas…classic.
2. Christmas sweet treats – my mom makes THE BEST midnight mints EVER.
3. Christmas salty treats – Nuts’n’Bolts – made by my mom.
4. Christmas get togethers – I love just spending time with people doing different things…baking, cookie exchanges, making cards, caroling, serving others, sharing Christmas recipes and traditions, shopping for the perfect gift, Christmas cantatas or plays, making a special gift, tobogganing…so many great options.
5. Christmas Traditions – even at 30 these are VERY important to me so I’ll share a few things that I have LOVED over the years:
a. New pajamas for Christmas Eve – I just buy them for myself now.
b. Going to the tree lighting ceremony at Fred Grant Square and having a picnic supper in the car.
c. Serving at Barrie’s Christmas Cheer.
d. Waking up on Christmas morning to make sure that Baby Jesus is in the manger (in our family Jesus was never in the manger before Christmas morning!).
e. “Sally’s Breakfast Casserole” on Christmas morning.
6. Christmas Eve service – one of my favorite services of the entire year. And this year we’ll have two nights of fantastic worship (December 23 and 24 – you won’t want to miss it!). This is a great opportunity to invite friends and family.

But really, most of all I love Christmas because it is the birth of my Saviour and I take the time to slow down and really celebrate everything that Jesus’ birth so many years ago means for me today.  I’ve heard the Christmas story for 30 years, really heard it for at least 25 of those years and my heart has heard it for ten years this Christmas…I never grow tired of the wonder of Christmas…there’s always something new in the story…but I’ll save that for another blog…
TueTuesdayNovNovember30th2010 In the quiet in the stillness I know that you are God
Posted Tuesday, November 30 2010 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Spiritual Disciplines 0 comments Add comment
I am a night owl…well, I used to be…I’m in transition, desperately trying to train my body for mornings.  I am well aware that personal time with the Lord needs to be a significant priority and I tried, sometimes harder than other times, to keep my priorities straight and make sure that I spent time with the Lord every night before I went to bed. Lately I’d been failing in this a lot more than I’d been succeeding and many of my successes were weak.

My small group just finished reading Good to Great in God’s Eyes by Chip Ingram (GREAT read!) and the last chapter focused on developing great habits.  Kerry asked each of us to share what habit the Lord was laying on each of our hearts – I will admit to not being initially thrilled about what the Lord was laying on my heart but I knew that disobedience was no longer an option. I’ve been spending years making up excuses as to why I don’t spend my time with the Lord in the morning: “I’m a night owl, morning isn’t my ‘best’ time, the words don’t even make sense to me in the morning, people in my life don’t even try to talk to me before 9 a.m. so why would I spend my miserable hours of the day with God?” …I had more excuses than that but I will spare you!

Honestly as we went around the circle sharing what habits we needed to change I was pleading with the Lord to direct me to a different habit – pretty much anything other than getting up earlier would be fine. However, it was the Lord’s timing and I committed to turning things off earlier at night and trying for one month to get up earlier to spend time with the Lord. I’ve done pretty well with this new resolve and am about three quarters of the way through my specified time commitment…and I’m LOVING it.

The line from None but Jesus that says, “in the quiet, in the stillness I know that you are God” has a whole new meaning for me.  There is something so precious about sitting on my couch, wrapped in an afghan, fireplace on, listening to worship music, sipping coffee and spending time in God’s Word by the light of a lamp while the rest of the house is silent – I LOVE it.

I love that there hasn’t been any distraction to my day that early in the morning – no problems that need solving, no emails (that I know of) that need answering…I’m rested and ready to begin a day with my priorities straight and my heart being tuned to the Lord’s. I’ve found myself to be much more aware of my words, thoughts and actions and that I seem to be operating on more grace than I would say is usual for me.  I feel like my relationship with the Lord has grown immensely in three short weeks and I’m a bit stunned.

People have told me MANY times about the value of spending time with the Lord in the morning…and there are LOTS of verses in the Bible to support the idea of morning devo time – Psalm 5:3 for example - "O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch." I’m not up preparing a sacrifice of anything but my time/sleep…I just needed to come to this on my own and in the Lord’s timing.

If you have the same excuses that I did let me challenge you to give mornings a shot for just one month to see if it makes a difference in your life.  You’ll likely need to be intentional – I have to write out the verses I’m reading that really stick out to me and I’m journaling my prayers daily…because early mornings aren’t my sharpest time of the day I do need some tools to ensure that my time with the Lord is meaningful…but it’s working!

Our Journey is another EXCELLENT tool – there are always copies at the bookstore on Sunday mornings. If this is a tool that benefits you make sure to order your copy for the new year!

I would love to hear from you what tools you use in your time with the Lord…

Amy
TueTuesdayNovNovember23rd2010 Words
Posted Tuesday, November 23 2010 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
My book study group is reading a fantastic book right now – “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God” by several authors (see below). If you want to be challenged and want to see your tongue as the disgusting piece of flesh that it can be so that you are sickened and strive in a whole new way for personal holiness when it comes to your words – pick up this book!

I just finished a chapter written by Mark Driscoll and he lists seven practical ways that we can pray for our shepherd. My small group has been praying through one of these points each week since the end of summer…we pray not just for Todd but for the other elders and ministry leaders in our church. I thought it was a really great resource to share.

I wonder what our church would look like in a year if we committed to praying through one of these points each week for the next year? What a great way to show that Harvest Loves...OUR SHEPHERDS!

Seven Ways to pray for your Shepherd

1. Pray that God would give your shepherd a discerning mind. Your shepherd needs to discern who the sheep, swine, wolves and dogs are so that he knows how he and the church should respond.

2. Pray that God would give your shepherd thick skin. Critics can be merciless, and Judas-like friends can be even crueler. Your shepherd receives mean-spirited emails from the people he cares for, suffers from constant gossip and rumors about him and his family, and spends hours every day simply turning the other cheek. When he fails, he is criticized for being a poor leader. And when he succeeds, he is criticized by those who are jealous. When he is a young man he is criticized for being inexperienced and arrogant. And when he is old, he is criticized for not being as energetic, passionate, and innovative as when he was young. Pray that your shepherd would have thick skin and selective hearing to ignore people and comments he should — and yet to receive the people and comments he should.

3. Pray that your shepherd would have a good sense of humour. Without a good sense of humour, shepherds will be overcome with anxiety and stress and will miss wonderful opportunities to laugh deeply from the gut as an act of faith. Shepherds are imperfect as are their individual sheep (sorry, but it’s true!) and their collective flock.

Ministry is pressure, and humour is a good release valve that helps to relieve the pressure. Without the release valve of humour, the pressure on a shepherd increases until he simply breaks. This break will be spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical depending upon the weakest cracks in his life. Too many shepherd break. Some leave ministry altogether, while others limp along as their outlook grows bleaker, darker and more somber.

4. Pray that your shepherd would have a tender heart. One of the primary duties of a shepherd is to see and deal with sin, folly, and horror in the lives of people they love. It is brutal. If you are not a shepherd, imagine spending much of every week visiting the sick and dying in the hospital, preaching funerals, mending the broken marriages, serving addicts of various ills, and weeping with victims of molestation and rape. The needs are overwhelming, the shepherd feels woefully unfit for the work, and there is no end in sight. Pray that his heart would remain tender toward God and his flock, because that requires a miracle of grace.

5. Pray that your shepherd would have a humble disposition. Simply put, pride is the root that nourished the fruit of all sin and is akin to picking a fight with God. But God promises to give grace to the humble. Nothing breaks a church like pride, and nothing builds it like humility. Jesus the Chief Shepherd is the most perfectly humble person who has or will ever live …

Without this humility, a proud shepherd contributes to a church culture of rivalry, conceit, competition, and selfish ambition, and a lack of teach-ability, submission to godly authority, and repentance.

Pray that as a result of humility he would follow the truth wherever it leads, invite and pursue correction from fellow shepherds, have the courage to lead boldly despite the personal cost, learn from everyone, repent quickly and thoroughly, seek and celebrate God’s grace at work in the lives of other Christians and churches, have a spirit of thankfulness, and listen to Scripture more than himself.

6. Pray that your shepherd would have a supportive family. Between the accusations of Satan, stings of critics, and discouraging awareness of his personal shortcomings and inadequacies, a shepherd is greatly served by an encouraging wife and a home in which the Holy Spirit’s work is evident. Pray for the shepherd’s wife, because she is often put under great demands to be friends with women in the church she does not enjoy, reveal details from her personal life with people she does not trust, attend parties with people she does not know, share her marriage and family with people she does not feel appreciated by, endure gossip from people she has not met, and lovingly serve people who are not thankful.

Pray for the shepherd's children. If they are struggling with sin and faith, there is great pressure to hide it so that their father retains the respect of the sheep and so that the swine do not have an opportunity to gloat and call their father a hypocrite, the wolves do not have an opportunity to attack their father, and the dogs do not have an opportunity to bark at their father.

7. Pray that your shepherd would have an evangelistic devotion. People are dying and going to hell without Jesus. It is easy in light of the needs of the sheep, folly of the swine, dangers of the wolves, and threats of the dogs for the shepherd to become so consumed with his flock that he does not seek the conversion of lost people.

Pray for your shepherd that he would have a heart for lost people and make time in his schedule to labour for their salvation.

From: The Power of Words and the Wonder of God John Piper (Editor), Justin Taylor (Editor), Paul David Tripp, Sinclair B. Ferguson, Mark Driscoll, Daniel Taylor, Bob Kauflin

Amy
WedWednesdayNovNovember17th2010 Relevant Evil
Posted Wednesday, November 17 2010 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Holiness 0 comments Add comment
“I want to be relevant” – I feel like I hear Christians using that phrase a lot. What does that even look like for a believer? I kinda know what they’re getting at…but when I stand before Jesus I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be overly concerned with how relevant I was…but probably pretty concerned about my personal pursuit of holiness.

Philippians 4:8 is pretty clear:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I took 13 minutes recently to watch a Mark Driscoll clip that was all over FaceBook the other week and was SO impressed by what I heard. The whole clip focuses on the current teenage (and beyond) fascination with vampires, werewolves, sorcery, witchcraft and other far from honorable, pure and lovely things. Why on earth are we giving headspace to these things?? Why are we allowing our youth to be filling their minds with this garbage? And not just allowing – we’re buying them the books, taking them to the movies…WHY!?!?

In talking with someone recently they stated something along the lines of, “Good thing I know what’s going on in the latest (insert Twilight book title here) so that I can discuss that with my peers but too bad I don’t know the bridge illustration and can’t share the gospel.”  How sadly true.

From the book "For the Love of God" D.A. Carson says...

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, and obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

I urge you to check out the video below…see what the latest in teen fiction is these days, then PURGE the bookshelves in your home and get focused on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable…things that point us to the cross.

Amy
WedWednesdayNovNovember10th2010 Location Location Location
Posted Wednesday, November 10 2010 @ 6 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 2 comments Add comment
Just in case you’re in the south end sometime soon and have an overwhelming urge to bring someone coffee, the staff here at Harvest thought it would be a good idea to review where you can find us <winks!>.

Here’s how it is right now:Sundays – worship with us at 750 Essa Road…9 a.m. or 11:15 a.m.


Monday to Friday – come by and see us at 112 Caplan Ave (corner of Caplan and Veterans in the old Canac Kitchens building…enter through the north showroom doors…and you don’t really have to bring us coffee!).  We have been truly blessed as a staff to be back working together, with a fax machine, photocopier and phone lines all ready to be used. Feel free to drop in anytime to say hello and get a tour! Don’t tell the rest of the staff but I totally have the best office (and the nicest smelling one!).


And if you want to mail us anything you can send it to:

37 Mapleview Drive West
PO Box 31040
Barrie ON L4N 0B3

You might be thinking, “Wait a minute! What  about that house up on Bayfield Street!?!”  We’re really just waiting on the Lord (and the city) right now so please join us in praying for God’s clear leading, direction and timing.

In the meantime, drop by 112 Caplan for a visit…and feel free to bless us with coffee if the Lord just happens to lay that on your heart ☺.

Amy
ThuThursdayNovNovember4th2010 I Worship Because
Posted Thursday, November 04 2010 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
There are seasons in life where we know that God is God and we are not…but if we were God we’re sure that we’d be doing things differently because how it is right now just sucks (can I say ‘sucks’ on the church blog!?).

Desert Song has been my song during some hard seasons…being able to sing – really sing - some of those lyrics have been hard, terrifying, emotional and freeing all in one breath. “All of my life…in every season…you are still God…I have a reason to sing…I have a reason to worship.”



When we walk through a trial the lens through which we view life is changed…we see things differently, analyze things in a new way…when prayers and pleas with God have yet to be answered how we expected or thought they should be, we need to decide who and what we’re going to let God be to us in that moment.

Music is a big part of my life…corporate and personal worship is such an important part of my relationship with Christ…but I never want to sing the words of the songs on Sunday morning or at small group or on my iPod simply because I like the song or think that people are watching me (I’m not that big a deal!) and will wonder what’s wrong if I’m not singing…I want to sing meaningful words to my God. Sometimes I can’t sing all the words and I just need to sing what I can…and sometimes I just need to rest in the words and let them wash over me.

As I’ve thought about my approach to worshipping God I was reminded of something I read almost three years ago about a man grieving the loss of his son and his journey back into being able to sing a song of praise to God. I had to go back to find what he wrote so that I could share it with you and the words struck me even deeper tonight:

I sang because:
I worship God for what he has already done.
I worship God, not out of a heart of understanding, but a heart of surrender.
And, for the first time I was able to praise a God who could have healed my son but did not.

I don’t need to fully understand God to know that he deserves my highest praise…but I need to trust him and live in surrender to him and the life that he has for me.I’d love to hear what song God is using to really speak to you right now…leave a comment…who knows who it might encourage today!

Amy
ThuThursdayOctOctober28th2010 Joshua Seller - My King is Coming
Posted Thursday, October 28 2010 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Way back in June a group of faithful servants gathered in a room for the Harvest Volunteer Appreciation night. It was a great time of fellowship and celebrating what the Lord has been doing and continues to do at Harvest Barrie. Norm Millar from Harvest London encouraged us from the Word and Joshua Seller came from Oakville to lead us in a sweet time of worship.

That night was the first time I’d heard Joshua lead in worship. I spent the first song or two getting some pictures and then stood at the back of the room watching 200+ people responding in worship to the God of their salvation – it was incredible. Joshua has a deep love for the Lord and the words he spoke and sang that evening rang of deep gratitude for his salvation.

Many of you received Joshua’s Passionate Reverence EP that night – those three songs have been played A LOT in my iTunes over the past four months so I was SO excited to finally get the full album My King is Coming a week or so ago. Pretty sure I’ve listened to the album about once a day since getting it.

What’s not to LOVE with lyrics like:

- “I believe You are all You say You are/I put my faith in the greatness of my God” (track #2 – my personal favourite!)
-  “No praise can define You/No thought could contain You God/No other one is holy/No other one is robed in righteousness…”
-  “As I open this love letter let the words carry me/Let ancient truth echo/Through these pages and this ink…”

I get pretty excited about new music in my life so I wanted to share this with you. My King is Coming is in our Harvest Bookstore.  Make sure to bring $10 and plan to pick this album up on Sunday – you won’t be disappointed!

In the meantime – check out Joshua’s FaceBook group page for a sample of "Came to Save." Amy
ThuThursdayOctOctober14th2010 Time Wasters vs. Time Robbers
Posted Thursday, October 14 2010 @ 8 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Today I came across an email that I wrote to a friend in 2005 after having a discussion about time wasters and time robbers. It was encouraging and challenging to me as I read over our discussion. I think I needed to be reminded and re-challenged in this area. I’ve tweaked it a little but pray that you too would be challenged and encouraged:

Life is short. I want every possible minute of my life to count for God’s glory. I don’t want to live a mediocre life for Christ…I have been made for the sole purpose of worshipping him and bringing glory to his name. There are so many things in my life that can take away from time better spent for him.  Take sleep, friends, some reading and T.V. as just a few examples. These aren’t always a waste of time but sometimes they can be time robbers in my life. 

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 1 Corinthians 3.11-13

I have to be responsible to God for the choices that I make regarding how I spend my time.  I want to be able to know that each day I have spent my time well…I have worked toward building a lasting foundation by choosing things that actually matter in life, that have a greater purpose and something that others will see and by it know that I have something different in my life…ultimately a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying that rest is something frivolous that we shouldn’t waste our time on…God wants us to rest. He created the day of rest! But I personally need to be very careful in finding the balance between rest and idleness/laziness…that’s me…an area in my life that I have recognized as a weakness…a time robber…

I’m also not saying that God doesn’t want us to have fun or spend time with friends. I just think that at times there are wiser choices that I could be making…both in my friendships and how I spend my time with friends. I value my friendships very much and consider them to be blessings from God.  My close friends are amazing people who encourage me, support me and challenge me to grow. However, I also have other friends who are more of a challenge at times and who (at times) have no interest in mutual growth/encouragement and yet I feel that the Lord has called me to continue to be a friend to them, invest in them and love them. I just need to protect myself and my time with them so that I don’t end up wasting hours by doing something completely meaningless with them. If the friendship isn’t "iron sharpening iron" (Proverbs 27:17) or at the very least me having opportunity to encourage the friend and point them to Christ, it runs the risk of becoming a time robber if there is someone or something else that I could be investing in that the Lord is directing me towards. I know that I need to be really careful to never view people as time-wasters or robbers…but the activities and conversations that I participate in with them could become those things. That is why I should always be putting these things before the Lord and striving to love people with Christ’s love.

I want people to see me as different, set apart and unique. I want people to be drawn to Christ through me but I know that I have A LOT of things in my life that I need to continue to work on. I’ve come a long way but I still seem to have forever to go and that excites me…it really does. I’m excited to become the woman that God has made me to be, to continue to develop and use my gifts for him, to work toward my goals…but I need to remain focused.

This is just where I’m at. God’s really been pressing on my heart to get my priorities straight and live a life that is for him alone because he is more than enough…and I need to keep working towards accepting that.

There’s always a choice – good, better, best…

Amy
WedWednesdaySepSeptember22nd2010 Small Things
Posted Wednesday, September 22 2010 @ 10 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Nine months ago I started reading a blog…Kelle was a perfect stranger (okay, she still is!) but she has challenged me.  Over nine months nothing this woman has written has led me to believe that she has a personal relationship with Christ but I’d say she’s "spiritual". The thing is…this woman LOVES life and seems happy, intentional and focused. Let me share with you the opening to one of her September blog posts: “ …I am a life-lover. A marrow-sucker. An optimist on a life-long hunt for good and wonder and joy, and I find it.”  Pretty much EVERY blog I’ve read of hers EXUDES a love for life.

So…what I’ve asked myself time and time again after reading her blog is this. “If this woman, who doesn’t know Christ, can embrace life like this…what is my problem!?!?!” Honestly – shouldn’t the fact that I have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, the God who sent his only Son to die on the cross for my sins so I could be forgiven and have eternal life with him be making an incredible difference in my life when it comes to my happiness, my love for life and my JOY!?!

Life isn’t easy…there are trials that we need to remain under…but our God is greater and his grace is sufficient.  And I really do have a lot to rejoice in…I just don’t always stop to take the time to reflect on these things. It’s easy to see the big things that are blessings but there’s a lot that I take for granted and reading Kelle’s blog has challenged me to LOOK for the small things in my life that are incredible blessings and to LOVE LIFE.

What about Harvest Loves...Life!?!?

I love the smell of coffee in the morning, I love the feel of mist on my face, I love laughing with my friends, I love praying with my small group, I love realizing that my allergies have finally subsided, I love finding my favourite lip gloss in the pocket of my spring jacket, I love finding a card from a friend in my mailbox,  I love opening my Bible and reading a word from the Lord that is meant specifically for me in that moment, I love opportunities to share Christ that I totally wasn’t ready for yet the Lord gave me words to speak, I love that the Lord is working in my life to help me to find joy in very simple, small things that are blessings from him…I need to rejoice in the days that the Lord has blessed me with.

Psalm 16:11 say, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

What are the small things that you love about life that bring you great joy?

Amy
Seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
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