Dirty, Sweaty, and Gnarly (from Douglas Poole)

Dear Cypress Family and Friends,

The heat index was somewhere in triple digits...it had rained everyday that week so doing yard duty felt like I was pushing a mower over a wet sponge with three foot of grass sticking out of it and by the time I was done not only mowing but also trimming bushes, edging, weed whacking and blowing it all off...I was one gnarly, sweaty, don’t get within 10 feet of me smelly mess! When I finally crawled indoors it was in almost total exhaustion, and as I did Jacque made the “ew-w-w-w” face, stepped back, held her nose and sent me straight to the laundry room where I was instructed to immediately deposit my clothes in the washer and then told to head directly to the shower (do not pass go) and soap down twice! Ah the bliss of being married to a loving truth speaker! So being the loving, supportive and semi-compliant spouse that I am...I headed for the shower. And all I can say is that as the water washed over my dirty, sweaty, gnarly self...it refreshed not only my body but my spirits as well. There is something invigorating about washing off dirt and sweat and just being clean, isn’t there. Jacque thought so too and so only then did she get near enough for a hug. (Such conditions she puts on things!!!)

Anyway, I have had so many conversations with people these days who are feeling on the inside sort of the same way my body was after lawn duty:...weary, if not exhausted from challenges in life...and just a bit gnarly in spirit to boot. So, let me offer you some scriptures that you can read and simply let wash over your soul. Read, reflect, renew and refresh as God’s grace rinses you of frustration, anxiousness, fear, concerns, anger, or disappointment, and fills you with hope, peace, will power, joy and....

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

-Philippians 4:13

“My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:19

“God has said: ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’. So we say with confidence ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’.”

-Hebrews 13:5-6

“For the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

-Isaiah 41:13

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

-Isaiah 41:10

“When you pass through the water, I will be with you;

And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God....and you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you.”

-Isaiah 43:2-4

Let the grace of God wash over your soul....read, reflect, renew and refresh your soul. Ah-h-h-h...now doesn’t that feel good?

Blessings,

The gnarly, sweaty and smelly one who has been refreshed...Douglas

PS. This Sunday we get reminded what a ‘Big God’ we serve. He is bigger than whatever seems bigger than you in your life...and so let’s all pray little bigger prayers, attempt little bigger things for Him and lead a little bigger life! Deal?...Deal!

Dream on!

 This Sunday, Jan Cox will be teaching.  Here's what she says we can expect:

Eight months ago we were challenged to dream big in a service called "Creating 2010".  Its been eight months since that day.  We're halfway through the year.  So, did you dream big?  Have you forgotten your dream?  Or have you been disappointed that your dreams did not come to life?  This Sunday we're going to take another look at dreams.  Why God created us to dream.  What happens in the space between dreaming and those dreams coming true.  And why its important to keep dreaming together, in the context of community.

2 Dates 1 Thought (from Douglas Poole)

Dear Cypress Family and Friends,

2 dates to lock in and 1 thought to reflect on...

This Sunday – August 22- Cypress will have only one service at 11 AM. It will be “family-style”, so the kids will join us and participate in the service as we wrap up the “Orange-explosion” family camp we have been doing this week. It should be fast-paced, fun and food will follow in the courtyard. My apologies to the 9:15 crowd...but please don’t duck out on the day (10-10)...studies show that these kind of intergenerational opportunities significantly impact a child’s faith for the good. So let’s all join together and invest in the next generation. Deal? Deal!

Save the Date – On Sunday October 3 we will host a service on a topic I am chomping at the bit to address: The Path...the undeniable life principle...getting from where I am to where I want to be. If you have people in your life that you would like to introduce to your Lord and/or your church this is one service you will definitely want to invite, beg or bribe them to attend. Really...so save the date now and get your friends to do the same.

Thought for the Day- (from: The Path...the undeniable life principle)

“When happiness points in one direction while wisdom, truth, integrity and common sense point in another, that’s when really smart people start doing really stupid things.”

Blessings,

Douglas

PS. Remember....1 service Sunday at 11

This Sunday - Authentic Community

God created us to experience His presence in relationships here on Earth.  So why is it so difficult to live in authentic community?  There are a lot of things working against us but this Sunday we will spend some time reflecting on how to live in missional community in the relationships God surrounds us with in our neighborhoods, at our jobs, and beyond.

This Sunday - Who Are You?

This weekend, Jan Cox, will be continuing our Summer Reflections series with a teaching entitled Who Are You?. Here's a little bit about what you can look forward to.

I recently watched and became a huge fan of the Tim Burton version of Alice and Wonderland. I love the movie for a few reasons but mostly because it started a conversation in my relational world about our identity.

In the movie the very wise caterpillar, Absalom, asks Alice a very simple question, "Who are you?" And through a series of events (I won't spoil the end for you just in case) she is challenged to discover the answer to that very important question.

It sounds simple enough but I wonder how many of us, if we were really honest, could answer it. In the blink of this life, in the scheme of our human existence who are we really?

We have labels of course - mom, dad, plumber, computer analyst, wealthy, poor, healthy, sick - but is this really where our identity should lie?

Adam and Eve were the first two people that had to answer this question and the journey they took to find the answer transformed human history forever. This Sunday we're going to spend some time asking ourselves who we really are and why it matters so much.