Category Archives: Hands

The Journaling Sacrament

Posted on December 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
- Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV

I’ll be honest. Before I was a believer, I had no clue who or what a Moleskin was. I quickly observed that in my Christian circles, “journaling” seemed to be a popular activity. It seemed apparent that if I wanted to grow in my faith, then I would have to put aside time for this “sacrament.”

As it turns out, Jesus never explicitly mentions time with God means time with a pen and journal in hand. Yet small group leaders, mentors, and wise men and women around the world continue to encourage the wonderful time that is spent journaling. Several years into my faith now, I do too. Nearing the last pages of my current journal, I purchased a brand spankin’ new black book. One of the simple treasures in life: a  round-cornered, college-ruled, ribbon-bookmarked with a bonus-pocket-in-the-back journal.

As a number-loving engineer, writing is not always an easy or enjoyable pastime for me. I typically prefer lists, charts and fancy plots. I have Excel Spreadsheets that contain to-do lists, reading plans, workout schedules, budget and more. Not joking. Yet, I’ve learned to adore the time I spend writing because of what the journal becomes.

It keeps a record of where I’ve been spiritually and emotionally. It outlines a path I’ve been on, with quotes or verses that at some point in time had a significant impact. It serves as a reminder for passages that contain huge nuggets of wisdom. Some pages are filled with heartfelt pleads to God for help; other times they describe explicit examples of God’s goodness and kindness toward me. Sometimes, I just have jotted down unanswered questions that I hope get answered at a later time. Together, those 240 or so pages encompass a bit of the state of my heart and mind at one point in time.

One of my favorite things to do is read back to old journals; to choose a randomly selected cross-section of my life to see areas where I’ve grown or learned more. Whether I want it to or not, it can also reveal areas of weakness or parts of my life that I have not yet surrendered to the Lord.

The journal serves as an abbreviated display God’s work in my life or the lives of those around me. I find answered prayers and concise proof of God’s faithfulness in times of need. I find it so great and valuable that in my extremely limited perspective, I am surprised God hadn’t commanded “Thou shalt write twice per week.”

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Posted in Hands, Heart

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Carrying Out the Mission

Posted on November 29, 2012 by | Leave a comment

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40 ESV)

My church family is teaming alongside Santa Clara County Social Services to make an impact this Christmas season through Operation Santa.

What is Operation Santa?

Operation Santa is an adopt-a-family program provides Christmas gifts to families who are currently involved in Santa Clara County’s Child Welfare system.

The parents in these families are in the process of having their children returned to their care after being previously removed due to abuse or neglect. All of the families referred to Operation Santa are receiving Family Maintenance Services and are working hard to complete court-ordered case plans to help them get their lives back on track.

Why Operation Santa?

The reason Garden City Church is participating in Operation Santa is three-fold:

1. Join us together to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We get to live generous lives because of our generous God who has graciously given us more than we deserve. We also get to do it together and make a concentrated impact in the city we live in.

2. Invite non-Christians (family/friends/co-workers) in to what we are doing, backing up our proclamation of Jesus with our works!

3. Spread the name of Jesus into this untapped area of Silicon Valley. Christians don’t have a great name or impact in our city and we want to change this through our generosity as a gospel-driven church that wants to see this city changed.

How did Garden City get connected to Operation Santa?

One of the members at our church, Katie, works in child welfare for Santa Clara County. She approached me about a month ago with a passion and desire to see our church family partner alongside the Department of Family and Children’s Services to make a tangible, concentrated, gospel-centric impact this Christmas through Operation Santa.

What really got this ball rolling, though, was her proactive leadership in following through with the details of her vision: packets, details, logistics, and timelines to make it attainable for people to get involved.

What is the goal?

Because of Katie’s vision, every Neighborhood Group at Garden City Church is adopting at least 1 family through Operation Santa. Our hope is to adopt all 60 families that were referred this year, and that our sharing of the gospel and our resources will be used by God to make an eternal impact on these families’ lives.

What now?

Join me in praying that in everything–from the letters we write to the gifts that we wrap and the social workers we come in contact with–the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would draw people in, break through cemented hearts, and gain great glory for himself in saving lives in Silicon Valley.

Join us on mission at Garden City Church. If you want more information on the child welfare system or how Operation Santa works, contact us at serve [at] gardencitysv.com.

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Cyber Monday Feature: Royal Windsor Knits

Posted on November 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

My name is Kathryn Filip and I am the owner/sole knitter at Royal Windsor Knits! I have been knitting since I was about 9 years old, when my mom taught me to knit.

When I was 11 years old, my parents responded to the call of God on their lives. Two years later, when I was 13, they took our family on an adventure of a lifetime from England to Romania. We went to encourage and take Bibles/literature to the persecuted Christians. Long story very short, I met my now husband of 28 years! He was 14 at the time, spoke no English but loved God and we fell in love. We got married, moved to the States, and have 3 wonderful grown children.

Last year, I was knitting and making things for family and friends when my kids introduced me to the wonderful world of Etsy. I opened a shop in November 2011 and people seemed to really like my cowls and scarves etc., and this is where my little side business started.

My husband and I have never been able to afford to take the kids to Romania and see where we met, so this year I began to think about my little side knitting business. I have set a goal to make enough money to take our whole family to Romania and join with some friends there who run a School of Worship. (They have been asking my husband and I to go and teach in the school during the summer.) We have been involved in leading worship for many years and would love the opportunity to help the next generation in any way, especially in the country we met in so many years ago! So, that is my dream and God willing, if the business does well, we will be able to go there hopefully next year.

Thank you for reading and God Bless you all as you follow after His heart.

- Kathryn (Royal Windsor Knits)

CYBER MONDAY SALE STARTS AT 12.01 AM ON MONDAY, NOV. 26th AND ENDS AT MIDNIGHT. Please use coupon code ‘CYBER15′ at checkout to receive 15% off your total purchase! ONE DAY ONLY!

 

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Come Alive, Bay Area

Posted on November 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

“When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”
Psalm 104:30

I’m currently reading through the gospel of John and my church is also going through John. So, it feels like I’m getting a double dose of John’s gospel. And believe you me, my heart needs it.

In John 3:3, Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then he says in John 3:5, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” The parallels in these verses are unavoidable.

The beginning of both verses talk about the new birth, and the second part of both verses explain the result of the new birth. You wouldn’t want to be in the kingdom of God if you couldn’t see it (vs 3), and even if you hypothetically could see it apart from the new birth, you could not enter the kingdom (vs 5). The entering of the kingdom is predicated on the new birth. It’s somehow this ticket into the kingdom. So how do we get the new birth?

Verse 3 says we must be born again, and the parallel phrase in verse 5 says we must be born of water and the Spirit. This must mean that the Holy Spirit must come into our lives, awaken our hearts, and cause us to be born again.

The Spirit moves freely and breathes life into dead hearts, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

I had the privilege of going to a Lecrae concert last weekend at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. It was loud, the gospel was proclaimed, and everyone was commissioned to be unashamed about their faith. The theme of the night was, “Come Alive.” They kept saying, “Come alive, Bay Area!!!”

I thought about how many people don’t know Jesus, how many people have the wrath of God abiding on them in my city, and the burden was and is crushing. But my heart leapt inside of me because we were begging the Spirit to breathe on our city. As Christians, we have a role to play in speaking the word of the gospel to those in our lives, but we aren’t the primary cause of anyone turning to Jesus. The Spirit regenerates, the Spirit moves, the Spirit awakens dead hearts. This should cause us to pray for the Spirit to move through our city. We may not know when the Spirit is going to breathe life into souls, or where he’s going next, but we can beg for him to come.

So join me, and pray that the Spirit moves and breathes new life on the Bay Area. Let’s pray that the Bay Area truly comes alive.

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Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on June 1, 2012 by | 1 Comment

I am a bit of a health nut, but sometimes cookies sound really good.

To satisfy my sweet tooth without going too crazy, I try to substitute “healthier” ingredients into my baked goods and pray that it doesn’t taste like cardboard.

Recently I experimented and made whole wheat chocolate chip cookies using coconut oil instead of butter. According to some taste testers, they didn’t taste too different from the real thing!

Here is the recipe. (It is also pasted below.)

  • ½ cups Granulated Sugar (or Sugar Substitute–I used 2T Sun Crystals)
  • ⅔ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
  • 1 cup Coconut Oil, Slightly Melted
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 whole Egg
  • 1-¾ cup White Whole Wheat Flour
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Mix sugars and coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add vanilla and egg; mix well.
  4. Add flour, salt and baking soda; mix well.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips.
  6. Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough, pack it in a bit, and place the dough onto a baking sheet. (The cookies should fall right out if you pack it in enough!) If you want flatter and crispier cookies, flatten the cookie out on the baking sheet.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes.

I hope you enjoy. Happy June! If you choose to leave “mitts,” feel free to be brutally honest. (I’ve learned my lesson earlier on whose mitts matters.)

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Posted in Hands

Hands and Feet

Posted on May 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Three of the many things that God has given me a love for in life are music, mission, and adoption.  So when I learned that the members of one of my favorite rock bands from back in the day had founded a Christ-centered orphanage in Haiti, it was Christmas come early.  Here it is:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”
- James 1:27

In 2004, the members of the music group Audio Adrenaline founded the Hands and Feet Project.  The project, inspired by fan reaction to their song “Hands and Feet,” is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing long-term, family style care for orphaned and abandoned children.  Their mission is “to care for the orphaned and abandoned children of the world with the love of Christ.”  They started with one children’s village in Cyvadier and now have multiple locations across the southern peninsula.

When the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010, both project sites, Jacmel and Grand-Goâve, were severely damaged, many parts beyond repair.  Yet none of the children or staff was injured.

While Audio Adrenaline officially disbanded as a group in 2006, the Hands and Feet Project continues to grow and hopes to be caring for one thousand orphans by 2016.

“Our vision is two fold.  First, we will strive to raise a generation of orphaned children who will grow up to reach their God-given potential.  Second, we will empower first world citizens to partner with us in service at home and abroad.”
- Hands and Feet Project Vision

For more information on the Hands and Feet Project, please visit here.

I want to be your hands
I want to be your feet
I’ll go where you send me
I’II go where you send me
And l try, yeah I try
To touch the world like
You touched my life
And I find my way
To be your hands
- “Hands and Feet,” Audio Adrenaline

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Posted in Feet, Hands

Book Worm

Posted on May 18, 2012 by | 2 Comments

I like to read. No, I love to read. Here are some of my more recent love affairs:

The Holy Bible (duh: God)

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (revelation: finding joy right where you are)

7 by Jen Hatmaker (work: fasting from excess)

Bloom by Kelle Hampton (memoir: down syndrome)

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis (fiction: greyhound from hell to heaven)

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (fiction: penpal relationship between two devils)

Give them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson (parenting: cut your kids some slack)

Up next:

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis (adoption)

Reclaiming Adoption by Dan Cruver (adoption)

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Posted in Feet, Hands, Head, Heart

A few of my favorite (food) things!

Posted on April 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I love baking. And I love the Pioneer Woman. And I am here to share with you 3 of my favorite recipes from her.

YUM.

First are her cinnamon rolls. They are so delectable and are fat free and sugar free! (Almost.) Your hands and table will get pretty gooey but it is worth it.

Next are her oatmeal crispies. They are so delicious and if you bake them for the perfect amount of time, you get a wonderful outside that is crunchy with a soft inside. So good.

Last is her iced coffee. It’s a cold brew so it is less acidic than coffee from the coffee maker. The addition of half and half as well as sweetened condensed milk is divine.

Alright. It is now your turn to try these recipes and love them. I sure do!

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Posted in Hands

A Bedazzling Tutorial

Posted on March 29, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Rhinestones make everything look better.

Materials needed:

Instructions:
1. Gather materials (listed above.)

2. Take a small glob of wax and mold it to one edge of the toothpick.

3. Squeeze some glue onto your scrap paper.
4. Dip your non-waxy end of the toothpick into the glob of glue, and put the glue onto your project. (Warning: the glue is really gooey.)
5. Use the waxy end of your toothpick to pick up the top of a rhinestone, then place the rhinestone onto your project, where the glue is.
6. Repeat steps 2-5.
7. Let project dry for about 24 hours.
Other fun things to rhinestone: screen-printed shirts/sweatshirts, handbags, cell phone cases, reusable water bottles, other hair accessories, your car…

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Posted in Appendix, Hands

Hippie Headbands!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I love crocheting!

I learned how to crochet when I was teaching 1st grade. There was a group of older ladies who were crocheting scarves for soldiers and I knew I had to join the group. I was really bad at it! It took me a while, but eventually I got the hang of crocheting. I now really enjoy it and crocheted some headbands for my family. They are simple to make and don’t take up much yarn or time.

1. Put a rubber band on one end of your yarn and tie a slip knot over that rubber band.

2. Chain a bunch until it fits around your head.

3. Connect your last stitch into your rubber band to make a loop! Voila!

(If you don’t know a word I am saying… go to YouTube for crochet tutorials! They are really helpful.)

Then take pictures of your brothers.

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Posted in Hands