Bieber fever?

Dear Crosswalkers,
Justin Drew Bieber is the latest in a long line of teenaged heartthrobs.  First there was Rudy Vallee, then Frank Sinatra, then Elvis, then the Beatles, then a long line of short timers, and the latest is Bieber. The Canadian Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who was searching You Tube for new talent and came across Bieber’s videos.  He was impressed.   Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher, and Bieber was soon signed to a recording contract with Island Records.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Bieber was raised by his mom to love Jesus.  Recently he was interviewed by the Associated Press, and asked how he reconciled his faith with the temptations of Hollywood.  Here’s what he said:

Hollywood is … a scary place. There’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of bad things, but there’s also a lot of good things. I’m able to live my dream, I’m able to do a lot of good things … I’m a Christian, I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I believe that I have a relationship and I’m able to talk to Him and really, He’s the reason I’m here, so I definitely have to remember that. As soon as I start forgetting, I’ve got to click back and be like, you know, this is why I’m here.

May the Lord always help us to remember why we are here!  Every Sunday we gather to remember.  The first Sunday of the month is especially a time to remember as we share in the Lord’s Supper together.

This Lord’s Day we will honor our Veterans, and we will continue our series entitled “Heroes by Faith.”  We will see that faith makes a difference in every aspect of our lives.  Here is a great quote from Benjamin Kwashi, Nigerian archbishop at the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa:

“Whenever and wherever the gospel is truly lived, it must bring change in behavior, etiquette and character; it must bring change in health, in the environment, in education and the economy; it must bring progress and development to people and take the lead in community life and conduct for peace and justice.”

I hope to see you Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

P.S.  Please be in prayer for our Pastor to Children and Youth and their families, Peggy Graves.  An infection was discovered in the hip area where she recently had hip replacement surgery.  She is scheduled for surgery on Friday at noon to determine the extent of the infection and take the necessary steps to repair it.  Please Pray!

ELECTION 2010
I don’t know about you, but with all the negative ads I’m sure glad the political season is over, if only for a year or so!  Election time is always a time to remember to pray for our elected leaders, as the Bible instructs us.  Here are some election results from across the country that are related to faith issues, according to Focus on the Family:

In Iowa, three state Supreme Court justices who had previously ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, were removed. This marks the first time voters have rejected members of Iowa’s high court since the current retention system began in 1962.
Pro-marijuana initiatives in California, South Dakota and Arizona all lost. California’s Proposition 19 would have legalized marijuana for recreational use, making it the first state in the country to do so.
In Oklahoma, an amendment was approved by 70 to 30 percent, to prohibit the use of international law, such as Islamic Sharia law, in state courts.
In Colorado, a “personhood” amendment, that would have protected all human life from “the beginning of biological development”, was defeated 70 to 30 percent.
Interestingly, nine of the new House members are pro-life medical doctors.
PARKING LOT RENOVATION

Please “pardon our dust” as for the next 8-10 days workers will be repairing our Parking Lot!  During this time, many of the center parking spaces will be closed (but not on Sunday!).  The dangerous roots will be removed, and the concrete tree planters will be replaced, and new asphalt will be installed.  The parking lot will be level again and free from trip hazards!  Temporary parking lines will be painted.  Next spring, the project will be completed with an application of pavement crack filler, then an emulsion sealer, and lastly permanently painted parking spaces.  Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.  Many thanks to all who contributed toward this project!