The Attitude of Gratitude

Dear Crosswalkers,

This Sunday we begin a new series of three messages entitled, “Three Powerful Blessings”. In these messages, we will look at three blessings God has given us that will enable us to live with his power and purpose in the face of life’s challenges. We begin this Sunday with “The Power of Thanksgiving.” It is more than just a national holiday featuring Turkey and football. In the Bible, thanksgiving is a lifestyle. The attitude of gratitude is a hallmark of those who follow Jesus. And this Sunday, we’ll discover its power in our lives!

The Bible says,

Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts. – Psalm 107:21-22 (NLT) What were the “sacrifices of thanksgiving” that were offered because of the great and glorious things God had done? Interestingly, they were offerings, usually of animals (but it could be a monetary offering); and a portion of the animal was dedicated to God and the rest was used as a meal of thanksgiving! I wonder if this isn’t an appropriate model for us to follow as well. So I invite you to give an offering of thanksgiving for the way God has blessed your life in 2009, and then celebrate with a wonderful dinner next Thursday.

As I look at our church finances, I am extremely grateful to God for the generosity of our church family. Through the month of October, we were only $610.00 in the red for our General Fund. In times of economic recession and high unemployment, this is a wonderful testimony about the dedication our church family. However, as we look to our end of year expenses, if you could bless your church family with a thanksgiving offering it would be greatly appreciated. In fact, we would return tremendous thanks to God! Simply designate your special offering with the word “Thanksgiving” so we can join you in praising God about his glorious acts. Has God blessed your life? Have you experienced his grace and truth during our 40 Days of Love spiritual growth journey? Then please consider a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and join us Sunday as we sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

On Monday, Leanna and I travel to Paraguay for family time and some wonderful ministry opportunities with the Hernandez family. Please pray for us. I plan to send you this memo from the field, so we will keep in touch.

Affectionately in the Lord,

Pastor John

Message in a Bottle

Dear Crosswalkers,

Here is a fascinating true story: During a 1979 cruise to Hawaii, Dorothy and John Peckham wrote some notes and threw them overboard inside empty champagne bottles. They asked anyone who found one of their bottles to write them back, and even went so far as to include a $1 bill to cover the postage!

 Remarkably, on March 4, 1983, the couple received a letter from Hoa Van Nguyen. Nguyen, a former soldier in the Vietnamese Army, said he and his younger brother had found one of the Peckhams’ bottles as the two men were floating 15 kilometers from the shore of Songkhla Province in Thailand. They were braving the waters of the Pacific in a small, shallow riverboat in order to escape the Communist regime in Vietnam. When they saw the bottle, they felt as though a prayer had been answered, giving them the strength to carry on. After reading the letter, the Peckhams looked for Songkhla on a map and were shocked to find that the bottle had traveled 9,000 miles from Hawaii!

The Peckhams corresponded with Hoa for years, sharing in his joy when they received a photo from his wedding, then again nine months later when they saw his newborn son. But most of all, they empathized with Hoa’s desire to give his family the best life he could. So when Hoa asked if the Peckhams could help his family move to the U.S., they didn’t hesitate. After months of working with U.S. Immigration, the two families finally did meet in 1985, when a plane from Thailand landed in Los Angeles — the Nguyens’ new home.

Many of us have been floating through life, perhaps trying to escape hurts and rejection and loneliness. And then, by the amazing grace of God, we found a message, not it a bottle, but in a Bible; the message of God’s love for us through Jesus Christ. As a result of receiving that message and accepting it, we have a new purpose for living and a new home in the family of God!

For the past six weeks, we’ve been on journey together called 40 DAYS OF LOVE. We’ve learned, and hopefully experienced, the love of God and the joys of living a life of love for God and for others.

This Sunday we will celebrate our journey together. After our worship services we will share in a catered lunch in our Gym. Please plan to join us as we celebrate together (and please bring a dessert to share)!

Brief reminder: We are serving at Las Palmas Park this Saturday from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.; and we are collecting food for City Team’s Thanksgiving Food Drive beginning this Sunday!

Love in Jesus,
Pastor John Christie